Of Loneliness and Second Chances
by TeamTHEFT
Summary: No. They had to be lying. There was no way this girl, this sad lonely girl, could be the hope for his race. There was no way this girl could revive the Time Lords. Who is she? How does she have more potential than even a Time Lord? Who is Freya O'Leary? The Doctor intends on finding out. [Starts right before Rose and other companions will be present at least partially.] DoctorxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my story. Yes, it has an OC. I like it. I'm writing it for me, not for anyone else, and figured someone else might appreciate. Before I start, I'd like to say i make no promises on updates. None whatsoever. I've only got one other chapter written thus far, and I have an extremely busy college semester ahead of me. I will not give up on the story without letting you know, but be forewarned that it will more than likely be a very long wait.**

**Also, it will more than likely go up in rating to M. I haven't decided for sure, but I am about 95% sure I'll end up bumping the rating up. Just figured I'd say that. Unless everyone would rather the M content be kept out. I can do that, if people say so. **

**W****ithout further ado, here is Of Loneliness and Second Chances!**

Chapter 1: Freya

It had all begun as every other day.

Freya woke up early and left for work. She phoned her only friend and listened to her friend ramble on about her life for approximately twenty-two minutes. After work, instead of eating, she cleaned on her house.

A normal day.

She even had the same normal feelings. The feelings of depression. The loneliness that oppressed her, weighed her down, made her doubt her ability to carry on.

The feelings had been wearing on her for weeks now. Weeks of nothing but depression. Usually her friend would snap her out of it, but the last two days had provided nothing. No hope. Just emptiness.

It was those thoughts that led her to the bridge.

The bridge was a two mile walk from her small house, just outside of the area of town people used. It hung over a very rocky river, one no one was allowed to swim in. And the bridge itself was very old. She used to go there when she was a child, still lonely.

She walked there slowly as the sun began to set. Not sure why, just knowing it would give her peace. And as she approached the bridge, calmness enveloped her.

_You're not important. No one will miss you. Everything will be better. All you have to do is jump._

The voice filled her head. She was used to it. It had been there, ever since the depression had settled in. It was her conscience, she was sure of it.

Freya slowly stepped onto the bridge. Would everything be better? Was jumping really the solution? She couldn't think of any solutions. Nothing to make her life feel worthwhile, to get rid of that absolute desolation that plagued her every waking moment.

Yes. Jumping would make everything better. She approached the side of the bridge and very carefully crawled over. Her arms locked around the edges of the bridge.

_Do it! Jump! End your miserable existence!_

The voice urged her onward. She glanced downward, swallowing. There was no one who cared. No one would miss her. She was all alone.

"Sorry to bother you, but you wouldn't happen to know where I am, would you?"

The voice came from behind her. She jumped, gripping the railing tighter. Someone else was there.

She didn't want to jump. No. She didn't want to die. She was only twenty. She had plenty of time, plenty of things to live for, even if she didn't see it now.

She glanced over her shoulder finally to see a man, just barely on the bridge, frozen. His blue eyes were wide and he looked as if he'd stopped walking the moment his words had left his lips. He was wearing a leather jacket, an odd thing to wear in the middle of summer. Her own white dress billowed around her.

"Can I come closer?" the man asked, eyes glued to hers. Freya opened her mouth but didn't trust herself to speak. She nodded instead, glancing back down at the river. The water seemed to be rushing faster underneath her, causing her grip to tighten. Her head whipped around back to the stranger, who was already almost within arm's distance of her.

"I changed my mind. I don't wanna do it," Freya whispered, gripping the railing so hard her fingertips turned bone-white.

_Do it! You are no one! Nothing! Jump! End yourself! Save everyone the misery of knowing you!_

The voice shouted in her head now, causing her eyes to squeeze shut. Two arms wrapped around her abdomen, causing her to jump slightly. The arms tightened at her movement. Freya's eyes shot open and she turned her head to see the man gripping her tightly.

"I'm going to keep a hold of you and help you back over the railing, okay?" he asked her gently. Freya nodded, feeling her throat nearly closing up as she held tears in. She was able to easily make her way over the railing, but the man didn't release her. He stared at her for a moment, eyes serious. As if he could read her thoughts. A few moments passed and his eyes left her, sliding someplace over her left shoulder.

"You can come out. I know you're here. And I know you've been inside this girl's brain," the man said loudly. Freya turned, noting that the man's arms were still securely around her, only to see what looked like a spaceship shimmer into sight right in front of her. Three blue, er, people were glaring deeply at him.

"You have no right to interfere," the first one spat.

"Yes. I did. You are an alien on Earth. I had every right to interfere. You've been trying to talk this girl into killing herself for months. What can you gain from her killing herself? Who are you?" the man asked. Freya's head spun. Aliens?

"We are the Nyonx. We need her potential energy," the second one said before being elbowed by the first.

"Nyonx? But why are you after her? You latch yourself onto whatever has the most potential nearest you, the longest life span with the most potential. She's a human. Humans are nothing compared to the other species out there. Why her?" the man behind Freya asked. Freya's head was spinning. Human? What did that make the people in front of her? Or the man behind her? Was he alien too?

"She has the greatest potential," the second said, ignoring the first.

"What about me? Shouldn't my potential outweigh hers right now since I'm here?" the man behind Freya asked. The first and second blue…aliens….turned to the third. The third shook its head.

"Her potential still outweighs yours," the third said firmly.

"But how? She's a human. I'm not," the man behind her said. Freya wanted to stiffen but resisted the urge. The man behind her was an alien too. He'd just admitted it. And what did they mean, potential energy?

"I have no potential energy," Freya said, interrupting them. The three aliens exchanged looks, something Freya noticed.

"Well, tell her what her potential energy comes from? I'm dying to know also," the man – alien – behind her said. Freya glanced down at his arms, still wrapped around her abdomen. She had no clue how she could get away from these…things, but she knew she needed to. But they were inside her head. How could she escape that?

"It's not from her. She would live 120 years if nothing interfered with her life. But her children are where her potential energy comes from. We'd be able to live longer than you, Time Lord," the alien in front of her said.

"That's impossible. I can live hundreds more years. You can't take anything farther than her children. That can't be more than two hundred years," the man said confidently.

"We don't have to say anything more," the aliens said monotonously.

"Well you need to find a new victim. Not her," the man behind her said.

"We need her. She will keep us free for ages," the first alien said. Freya eyed them for a moment before glancing back at the edge of the bridge.

"If I do this, you'll leave people alone? You won't bother anyone else again?" Freya asked them, making her voice as strong as she could.

"They need you to kill yourself. That's what they need. And as soon as your energy fades, they'll go after another. That's what the Nyonx do," the man behind her said, his grip tightening on her. She was pulled tightly against his body.

"But you said it'd hold you off. For hundreds of years," Freya argued. The grip tightened on her even more, as if no one was going to get her away from him.

"It would," the first alien said, grinning at her.

"I told you we should have gone for the sympathetic outlook," the third complained.

"What would you expect from the girl who can revive the Time Lords?" the second shot back quietly.

That was the wrong thing to say. The other two aliens glared at each other before glancing back at Freya.

"What do you mean?" the man behind her asked sharply, taking a step back. He dragged her back with him. One of his hands left her and held some metal thing out past her. It made some whizzing noise and moments later, the ship the aliens on exploded. Freya gasped and jumped at the sight, but she didn't have a chance to do much else before she was thrown over the man behind her's shoulders and he was running.

"Stop! Stop! What did you do? Where are you taking me?" Freya asked in alarm.

"My ship. I need to check you out," the man said.

"Wait! Please. Stop running. Please," Freya begged. The man slowed down for a moment, glancing at her. He stopped running and stood her back on the ground, his arms never leaving her. Freya took that moment to examine him up close. He had a large nose and large ears and his eyes were incredibly sharp, serious. He was taller than her, much taller. And much stronger.

If he wanted to take her somewhere, there was no way she'd be able to fight her way out of it.

"Before you take me wherever you plan on taking me, can I have my necklace? I left it at my house. I just…I just want my necklace," Freya said quietly. The man looked down at her, puzzled by her request.

"I just want to check you out. Make sure you're healthy and see why they wanted you, more specifically. I'll bring you back," he said, but Freya shook her head.

"No. I know how this works. I'll never see home again. I may not see anything else, ever again. I may end up on the side of the road somewhere, dead. At least let me have a proper piece of identification on me when that happens," she begged him. His eyes softened at her words and he nodded.

"Fine. Let's go get this necklace of yours," he said. Freya smiled slightly at his words and nodded towards the direction they were heading.

"My house is about two miles this way. It doesn't take long to get there," she told him. He let go of her with one hand but his other arm remained firmly around her upper waist.

"Do you live alone?" he asked as they started walking.

"Yes. I live alone," she said. He wanted to know something about her. He would keep her alive until he figured it out. Of that she was certain. But she had so much she wanted to know. About him. About those aliens.

"You implied you weren't human. And those….aliens….called you a Time Lord. What does that mean?" Freya asked him before he could ask her any more questions.

"I'm The Doctor. And yes, I'm an alien. A Time Lord. I'm more interested, however, in you," he said.

"Why did you kill them? The other aliens? They didn't do anything wrong," Freya interjected.

"They weren't going to leave you alone. They would have stayed in your head until you gave in. And they were lying," the man said. The Doctor. Freya wanted to ask if there was another name to go with his title, but didn't think he would answer her even if she asked.

"What were they lying about?" Freya asked. The man was walking much faster than she usually walked and her house approached rather quickly.

"You. They said you could revive the Time Lords. That is impossible. I'm the last of the Time Lords, and there is no way for them to come back," the Doctor said. He glanced over at her.

"Aren't you going to ask what my real name is?" he asked her.

"Would you tell me if I asked? You said you're the Doctor. I'm not in the position to be challenging you," Freya said.

"You'd be the first. That your house?" the Doctor asked her. Freya nodded, staring at the tiny house. Her grandmother had left it to her when she died. Otherwise, Freya had no idea where she would have ended up. It wasn't as if she could have asked to stay with her parents. She could only imagine the amount of laughter she'd get for that questions. She shook the thoughts from her head as they approached the house. She pulled her key from the one pocket in the dress and unlocked the door.

The Doctor's grip on her never loosened as she made her way to the bedroom. There, sitting on her dresser, was her necklace.

It was her most treasured belonging. It had been given to her when she was seven. She had broken her arm on the playground at school and no one had come to pick her up. Her teacher had had to drive her to the hospital and wait on her because her parents didn't have the time.

Soon after her teacher had had to go home to tend to her own children, a man stopped and started talking to her. He'd given her the necklace after their conversation and she wore it almost every day since.

Why hadn't she put it on today? She had left it there because, in the back of her mind, she knew she would die. And maybe she didn't want to be identified as a girl who killed herself. Because that would sully what it stood for, to her.

She unhooked the necklace and put in around her neck, feeling the familiar weight of the tiny heart locket just above the top of the dress. And turned to the Doctor.

He was watching her carefully. Curiously.

"Are you going to explain to me why you need to examine me, if you think what the…aliens…told you was false?" Freya asked him. It was bothering her, his words. And she wanted to figure out exactly why it bothered her.

"I need to make sure. And make sure they didn't do any lasting damage to your head," the Doctor said. And something about the way he said it made Freya rethink everything. She glanced out the window, noting that a car was pulling up. A car?

"So you don't plan on kidnapping and killing me?" Freya asked for clarification, looking away from the window. The Doctor looked mighty confused at her words and shook his head quickly.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed. Freya nodded, glancing back out the window. Her friend Gwen was out of the car now and on her way up the steps. And they'd left the door open.

"Then you might want to hide," Freya suggested. Only it was too late. The door to the front of the house burst open and a moment later, the door to her bedroom burst open.

Knocking the Doctor forward onto Freya.

The two of them crashed to the ground, the Doctor all but pinning her to the ground. He tried getting up but slipped and came crashing down on her, her dress billowing all around them. A low whistle made him stop moving. Freya glanced up at her only friend, who had a grin on her face.

That moment, even though she knew she had to think up a lie quickly, she couldn't help but feel so amazing.

It was his touch. Another human being touching her. Er, another warm body touching hers, that is. That was it. She hadn't had any sort of physical contact in…oh goodness, it had been ages. She couldn't even remember. And hugs? Her friend Gwen wasn't a hugger. So no one ever hugged her.

Yet now, even if it was by accident, this man, the Doctor, was lying on top of her, and she just felt so….so warm.

"If I'd known you were having…company…I'd have called first," Gwen said with a wink. The Doctor struggled to his feet and Freya tentatively followed him. Gwen eyed the Doctor appreciatively. The Doctor looked highly uncomfortable under her gaze.

"What are you doing here?" Freya asked her friend softly. Gwen turned and looked at Freya, looking almost completely heartbroken.

"You sounded so off today on the phone. I was worried about you. I see now you were just entertaining," Gwen said with another wink. Freya turned red and looked at the ground, realizing the Doctor was still standing very close to her.

"Gwen, we aren't sleeping around. I don't do that," Freya said quietly. Gwen laughed.

"Oh but you should start. It'd do wonders for you, I promise. Start with him. He'd do nicely. And he'd be able to keep you warm at night. I know how much you desire being warm at night," Gwen said with another wink. Freya turned an even darker shade of red.

"Gwen, I was thinking of taking a….a vacation of sorts. I don't know when I'll be back. But I need to pack," Freya said suddenly. The Doctor next to her glanced down, completely confused. Gwen looked baffled as well.

"You don't do vacations…..oh. _Oh._ I see. Have fun! Make sure to pack some of that lingerie I bought you last April!" Gwen said, making a beeline for the door.

"Why did you say you were going on a vacation?" the Doctor asked her quickly. Freya looked back up at him.

"Because I don't know how long it's going to take you to run tests on me. It always takes the doctors twice as long to run tests on me as it does everyone else. I wanted to make sure you didn't get in trouble," Freya explained. The Doctor stared at her, confused.

"You lied…so I wouldn't get in trouble?" he asked for clarification. Freya nodded.

"Do I need to pack anything? How long do you think it'll take you to run tests?" Freya asked. The Doctor continued staring at her for a moment before his lips twisted into a grin.

"Pack a bag. I'll take you on an adventure after I do some tests," the Doctor said. Freya stared at him, confused.

"An adventure? Why?" she asked, puzzled.

"Because you surprise me. Not much surprises me. And why are you questioning it? I just offered you an adventure in my spaceship. Pack a bag!" he ordered. Freya wasted no time in throwing a few clothes into her backpack. It took her very little time to pack. After all, she had little she cared about in her house.

She must've surprised the Doctor as well with how little she had packed.

"Is that all then?" he asked, staring at her meager backpack. She nodded, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. He stared for another moment before nodding.

"Okay. Fantastic. Let's go," he said, instantly heading for the door. Freya followed, much slower than the Doctor. He waited until she'd locked up the house before turning to her expectantly.

"Tell me something about yourself," he urged. Freya glanced at him, almost confused.

"Why would you want to know about me? You're the unique one," Freya pointed out. The Doctor's light expression faded at her words.

"I'm just a Time Lord. There used to be a whole planet of them. But you? You're one of a kind. A human that has the Nyonx more interested than even a Time Lord. That makes you special. And I never even got a name out of you," the Doctor said. Freya's entire expression dropped as she realized his words.

She hadn't even told him her name. How rude of her. Why didn't she even think to introduce herself?

Maybe her parents were right. Maybe she was just a hopeless loser.

"I'm Freya. Freya O'Leary," Freya said quietly. The Doctor's eyebrows shot up.

"An Irish name. Not originally from England then," he said.

"You're one to talk," Freya shot back quietly, almost tentatively. She felt a glimmer of excitement when the Doctor chuckled at her words.

"You have spunk. I like that. You just need to be unafraid of using it," the Doctor advised. Freya nodded, taking his words in.

"Continue!" the Doctor ordered.

"I'm twenty years old. You met my friend. Gwen," Freya said. She didn't know what else to say about her. She didn't want to burden him with her life story. He was some sort of travelling alien. He had better things to do then talk about her life.

"What's your spaceship look like?" she asked, changing the topic. The Doctor grinned at her and pointed towards a hill.

On the top of the hill was a blue box that had the words police box scrawled across the top. It looked like an old-fashioned telephone box. Nothing like she'd imagined. It was better.

"It's so small. We'd have to be…really close," Freya said, staring at the box.

"I wouldn't bet on that," the Doctor told her, grinning. Freya grinned herself. She would love to be that close to someone. The thought of getting to travel in a box, that close to someone, made her beyond ecstatic. She'd get human contact. She'd be warm.

They approached the box and the Doctor pulled out a key, unlocking it. He held the door for Freya and she stepped inside.

Disappointment filled her the moment her eyes landed on the room. It was massive. And it looked like there was a hallway as well.

"What do you think?" the Doctor asked. Freya shook her head, glancing back at the door sadly.

"It's smaller on the outside," she said mournfully. The Doctor faltered, closing the door before turning to stare at the odd girl.

"Smaller on the outside? You just complained about the thought of us being really close," the Doctor pointed out. Freya shook her head once more, eyes staying lowered.

"I wasn't complaining," she said. There was a silence before the Doctor moved away from the door.

"Right. We need to go to the Med-Bay so I can check you out," he said, taking her hand. Freya jumped slightly at how he easily slid his fingers in between hers. It was such a wonderful feeling.

The Doctor, however, frowned. He got the feeling that the girl didn't like physical contact. At least, that's what he was assuming. She seemed to unused to it, as if it was foreign. He made a mental note to keep any contact to a minimum. He didn't want to scare the girl any more than what he must have already done.

"You were so keen on having your necklace. For identification, you said. Yet you were going to kill yourself. Why didn't you already have it on?" the Doctor asked her as he led her down a long hallway. He started loosening his grip on her hand, only to realize she was holding onto him even tighter than he was her.

"If they found my body in the river, it wouldn't have surprised them. And I…I wouldn't want to ruin what it meant by wearing it and ending my life. But I thought if you took me somewhere farther away, the necklace is the way most people identify me," Freya explained. Her words only ignited more questions from the Doctor.

"What does the necklace mean?" the Doctor persisted. Freya took that moment to examine the hallway they were walking down.

"This is all inside your spaceship? I really thought it was a wooden box," Freya said, keeping the sadness out of her voice at that. Something tickled her mind, making her jump.

"Be careful. My spaceship's a living creature. Don't insult her. And you didn't answer my question," the Doctor pointed out. Freya, however, ignored him.

Because she felt whatever the spaceship was. She felt in inside her. And it felt absolutely amazing, exhilarating, warm. It felt like a she.

Freya couldn't believe her thoughts. She was going crazy. That was the only explanation. Oh, but if this is what happened to her by going crazy, she never wanted to be sane again.

"Well? What does the necklace mean?" the Doctor asked as he pushed a room open, leading her into a hospital-like room. He led her over to a bed and helped her up onto it but didn't move, waiting for her to answer him.

"When I was younger, someone gave it to me. He didn't know me. I didn't know him. But he took time out of his life to listen to me talk about my life. He told me I was important. That was the first time I'd ever heard that. And the only," Freya finally admitted. The doctor stared at her for a moment, thinking.

"No one else has ever told you you were important?" the Doctor asked for clarification. Freya shook her head firmly. Which was part of the reason she doubted the man's words. Everyone else doubted the man was real, when she used to tell people the story. But the necklace was proof.

"Well, we just might have to change that," the Doctor murmured before fiddling with a few devices. He pulled one over to her, something she assumed was some sort of x ray machine.

"I've never met someone who wasn't important. So I will tell you this, Freya O'Leary, you are important," the Doctor said, looking straight into his eyes as he spoke his words. Freya was shocked by the amount of sincerity poured into the Doctor's words. It was almost enough to make her believe him.

He flitted over to another machine, where an x ray was coming up. She was right. He looked at it before turning back to her, eyes wide.

"I guess you find my birth defect," Freya said quietly. The man pulled a stethoscope out and quickly pressed it against the right side of her chest, where her heart was. It quickly moved to her left side, only for his eyebrows to lower.

"Your heart's on the wrong side. I need a second scan to make sure you don't have two hearts," the Doctor said.

"Or you could ask me," Freya pointed out. The Doctor froze midstep.

"I technically have two hearts. But one of them is dead. And one of them isn't mine in the first place," Freya explained. The Doctor loosened up slightly at her words but still brought the machine over. He moved it slowly over her chest this time, focusing on precision. When he checked the x ray, he noted the smaller, still heart.

"What happened?" he asked, staring at it. Freya sighed, ready for the onslaught of questions. Few people knew of her heart condition.

She'd learned early on that people didn't like things that were different. And that was about as different as they come.

"When I was little, my heart started giving out. The doctors couldn't find the problem. They still don't know why my heart gave out so early. I was able to get a heart transplant, but they discovered something odd when they opened me up. My system was slightly reversed. My body wanted my heart on the right side, but it had grown on the left. So they inserted it on the right. There was a second surgery set up to remove the first heart, but my parents didn't want to waste the money on it. They didn't figure I'd live long enough for it to matter," Freya explained quietly.

The Doctor stared intently at the x ray.

"Your body wasn't messed up in wanting your heart on the right side. Your body wanted two hearts to begin with," the Doctor said in awe.

"That's impossible," Freya said automatically. The Doctor shook his head, grabbing a small machine. He pulled another cart over as well.

"Your body has a binary vascular system, or a rudimentary form of it. It was meant to function with two hearts, but your body hasn't changed enough for it to. Human evolution, right in front of my eyes," the Doctor murmured. Freya struggled to sit up, staring at him.

"Human evolution?" she questioned. He shook his head, snapping out of whatever daze he was in and smiled at her.

"Yes. I'd assume most of the others who have had this happen have died. But you…you got lucky. This might be a little awkward. It's an ultrasound. I want to see if your other heart's still beating," the Doctor said. It was the only warning she got before his hand went down the top of her dress. She jumped but relaxed almost instantly as the Doctor's hand stopped right over where her dead heart was. He held it there, eyes glued to the machine. An image of her tiny first heart filled the screen.

"Fascinating. They didn't bother disconnecting it. They must have simply spliced the arteries and veins so they'd run through both hearts. That could kill you one day," the Doctor said. The heart was still, but the Doctor held the metal thing to her chest still. After a moment, his eyes lit up.

"I have an idea. Your other heart may be beating. Or may not. I don't know. But I can figure out if you'll trust me," he said. Freya stared at him for a moment. Trust him? Wasn't that what she was doing?

"I trust you," Freya told him. He stared at her, almost in wonder, before nodding.

"I need you to scoot a bit forward and sit up. I'm going to climb behind you. I want to monitor your first heart while feeling the second, and this way I'm less likely to miss it," the Doctor explained, looking quite chagrined as he crawled behind her on the table. He carefully pulled her body back against his and the metal thing was pressed against her chest just as before. His other hand slid down the top of her dress, pressing firmly against her second heart. Freya watched the screen as the Doctor stayed still.

After thirty seconds, the Doctor started to move. Only to freeze.

The heart on the screen moved.

The Doctor remained where he was, watching the screen once more. It took another thirty seconds before the heart moved once more.

"Fascinating. It's nowhere near as strong as a normal heart, but it's alive. You have two beating hearts!" the Doctor cheered. He pulled his hands from her shirt and leapt off the table, tripping in the process. He was back on his feet before Freya could even ask if he was alright.

"Is…is that the only test you have to run on me?" Freya asked, slightly confused. The Doctor turned, his confusion mirroring hers.

"No. I was going to scan your brain too…why?" he asked.

"Usually when doctors find that, they run all sorts of tests. It's why my parents stopped taking me to the doctor. It got too expensive," Freya explained. It was also why they didn't pick her up that day when she'd broke her arm. If they didn't come in, the hospital wasn't authorized to run tests on her.

"How long has it been since you've gone to a doctor?" the Doctor asked, his expression turning serious.

"The last time I went was when I was seven and broke my arm. I was six when I went in for an actual appointment," Freya said. The Doctor frowned once more.

"Right. In that case, I'm sorry. I'll have to run more tests. I think it'll be better for you, however, if you're asleep when I do them. I'm going to put you in a medicine-induced coma," he said, reaching for a syringe. Freya's eyes widened at his words. When he turned around, he softened once more.

"I'll be right here. You'll be safe. I'll even talk to you while you're out. I don't know how long it'll last on you. I've never used this formula on a human," he said with a slight frown. Freya felt even less sure now. She wanted to run. She wanted to get out of there.

But that wouldn't be a smart idea. He could find her. She knew he could. So she closed her eyes and leaned back.

Conversations floated through her subconscious. The Doctor, talking to her. He told her stories of where he was going now, why he hadn't been able to figure out a quick way to pull her out of the coma. He was after something called living plastic, or as he called it, the Nestene Consciousness. He had some sort of vial of anti-plastic, which would kill it.

He'd also met a girl.

Her name was Rose Tyler, he'd explained. And even in her coma, Freya could sense she wouldn't be able to compete with this Rose Tyler.

The Doctor wasn't the only one to talk to her. The Doctor's spaceship did as well. She told Freya that her name was the TARDIS. She told Freya all sorts of stories, of the Doctor who she affectionately called her Thief, of their home planet, of their adventures. It was all very random, very flitting, almost as if the TARDIS was wanting to keep her mind occupied. Freya had no idea how long she was in the coma.

But it felt like forever.

She was pulled from her unconsciousness by the TARDIS. The TARDIS was pulling her out of the coma, apologizing the entire time.

When she opened her eyes, the lights nearly blinded her. And she felt like her whole body had been hit by a car. What sort of tests did the Doctor run on her?

She tentatively stood, relieved that she wasn't dizzy. The TARDIS was urging her along.

She was still in her white dress, but her hair was in a braid. The Doctor had braided her hair. The TARDIS moved the floor panel she was standing on, hurrying her along.

Freya had no idea what was wrong, only that something was wrong. She walked quickly, allowing herself to acclimate before breaking out into a jog. In no time, she reached the control room. Outside, she could hear someone beating on the door frantically. A monitor flickered on to show a girl and boy, both terrified, trying to get in.

_Rose._

The TARDIS's voice wafted through her head. That was Rose Tyler? Something was wrong. Freya quickly ran over to the door, pulling it open. The boy tumbled inside and the girl's eyes widened. But Freya didn't pay attention.

The Doctor was being held by two plastic manikins. The one let him go just to come back with a vial of clear liquid.

"I wasn't going to use it! It was insurance!" the Doctor shouted. Freya's head spun. The antiplastic. That's what that was. And…she shuddered as she caught sight of a large…plastic…thing inside a vat below the Doctor.

She turned, looking around, only to spot a thick chain tethered to the wall. One that, judging from what she could see, would be able to help her swing down to where the Doctor was. And, from where the manikin holding the antiplastic was standing, she'd be able to knock it in.

She wasted no time leaping over the boy who was trying to get inside the box. The girl, Rose, was staring at her in shock. Freya ignored them both, grabbing an axe that was lying near the rope. The axe felt heavy and Freya was starting to feel the effects of her sudden awakening. She quickly cut through the rope and wrapped her arm around the chain tightly, praying she'd be strong enough to keep hold.

She swung off the platform, eyes wide as her grip loosened. Freya clung for dear life as she collided with the plastic dummy, knocking it into the vat about the same time the Doctor flung his own guard off of him. Her fingers were sliding from the chain as she swung back towards the doctor.

He grabbed her tightly just before she lost her grip. He grinned at her before turning to look at the creature in the vat. The Nestene Consciousness? It had to be.

"Great job! We'd probably bettered get out of here," he recommended, his grin still on his face. His hand locked with mine as he started for the stairs. I started to run with him but my legs wobbled under me, causing me to stumble. The Doctor wasted no time in scooping me up, running with me in his arms instead.

Rose was still standing there in the doorway, eyes wide.

"Get it!" the Doctor shouted at her. She ran into the TARDIS right before the Doctor did. He slammed the doors shut, quickly depositing Freya into a chair before rushing around the TARDIS, powering her up.

"Who is she? Where did she come from?" Rose shouted, pointing at Freya. The loudness caused Freya to flinch. Her head was pounding now. The TARDIS enveloped her once more, allowing her to feel warm and content.

"Freya, Rose, Rose, Freya. I picked Freya up a few weeks ago. She's been in a medical-induced coma since. Speaking of, how'd you wake up? I couldn't figure out how to wake you up and got busy," the Doctor admitted sheepishly.

"The TARDIS woke me up. She sensed you were in trouble," Freya murmured, feeling exhausted despite having just found out she'd been unconscious for weeks.

"She's talking to you now? What're you doing that for, old girl?" the Doctor asked, patting the console of the TARDIS. The TARDIS started up and the Doctor grinned once more. He started racing around the console, pulling levers, pushing buttons, etc. After a few minutes, the sound stopped and he stopped.

"Here we are," he said with another grin. The boy ran straight out the doors, Rose following him slowly.

"Mind some company?" the Doctor asked Freya. Freya glanced up at his words, startled to see him standing right in front of her.

"Pardon?" she asked, the word leaving her lips like a gasp.

"I was thinking about asking Rose to join me. To join us. What do you think?" he asked her.

"It's your ship. I'm just a passenger. And you said you were only taking me on an adventure," Freya said quietly. The Doctor frowned at her.

"Yeah, but I did accidentally knock you out for a few weeks. I think I owe you more than one adventure," the Doctor mumbled guiltily.

"You can ask her if you want. I'm poor company," Freya told him. He looked up at her once more and looked like he was going to contradict her. But he didn't. Instead, he bound over to the door. He said something, but Freya was no longer paying attention. Instead, she fell back asleep.

The Doctor turned from Rose and headed for the console, quickly transporting them away. He hadn't had company in so long, and now he did. He'd have two companions, if Rose agreed when they returned, and he knew she would.

And then there was Freya. She was a mystery, one he planned on figuring out. He glanced over at her, only to be alarmed. She was asleep again! He abandoned the console, rushing over to her. He tried shaking her shoulders, instantly becoming relieved the moment her eyes fluttered open.

"Doctor?" she questioned as her eyes slid back shut.

"No, stay awake. You're fine," the Doctor ordered. She opened her eyes once more, but she was fighting to stay awake.

"I'm tired. She said I could sleep," Freya murmured sleepily. The Doctor shook his head.

"You've been sleeping for three weeks straight! You've had enough rest!" the Doctor ordered.

"Hadn't…slept…for days before," Freya admitted with a yawn.

"So you have problems sleeping?" the Doctor asked her with a frown. Freya yawned once more, shifting slightly in the chair.

"Never can sleep. Always cold," she murmured sleepily. She shifted again, only this time she shifted out of the chair. The Doctor only caught her head, allowing her to hit the ground. The impact woke her up fully, causing her wide eyes to meet his.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but she made no move to get up.

"It's okay. Just stay awake. I don't want you slipping back into the coma. We still have to talk about what I found out about you," the Doctor said with a smile before gently letting her go. He moved over to the TARDIS console and pushed a few buttons, starting it up once more. He hurried over to the door, yanking it open.

"Did I mention that it also travels through space?" he asked cheekily. A few moments later, Rose Tyler had run into the TARDIS and the doors closed.

**What did you think? Let me know if you liked it!**

Andi


	2. The Beginning and the End

**I only got one review but quite a few alerts. I would appreciate reviews, however, as you can see, I'm not going to make my updates depend on how many reviews I get. This has an original section along with a familiar section. I want to say that, starting chapter 3, I found the transcripts so I have more exact lines but I don't here. With that being said, enjoy!**

Chapter 2: The Beginning and the End

The Doctor was flitting around the console, pushing buttons and pulling levers.

"Right! So where do you two want to go? Past or future?" he asked. Rose beamed at him before stopping and glancing at Freya.

"She was here first. She should get the first pick," Rose suggested. The Doctor nodded, staring expectantly at Freya. The girl looked at him for a moment, contemplating something.

"Past. I…I have a year I want to visit," she said quietly. The Doctor's eyes instantly went up.

"We aren't going back to change anything." He informed her sharply. Freya shook her head.

"I know. I don't want to change anything. I just….I want to know the truth," Freya said before rattling off a date. A date almost twenty-one years ago.

Before she was even born. The Doctor eyed her but said nothing, instead bustling around to get the date right. The TARDIS moved and the Doctor opened the door.

"Here we are. Now, where are you needing to go?" he asked her, but Freya was already shakily at the door. She stepped outside, glancing around. They were here. America. Where her parents were from, before they moved to London. They didn't move until close to her due date.

"That hospital. They had a doctor's appointment today. It was where they started hating me," Freya said softly. Rose instantly slung her arms around the girl, glaring at the Doctor until he did the same.

"Come on," Freya whispered, pointing at the hospital that loomed in front of her.

The three of them entered the busy hospital, Freya instantly knowing where to go. They'd visited America once, when she was six, and she'd come here at her grandmother's urging. It was her grandmother that told her this was where it all began.

The Doctor linked his hand with hers, not trusting this girl to not run off and do something stupid. Rose linked her own hand with Freya's other, offering up support.

They were on their way to the room Freya knew her mother would be in when she noticed something off. There were six doctors in one room, examining ultrasounds.

She moved towards it, towards the open door.

"I don't know how it's possible! There's something wrong with her," the first said, wildly pointing at the image.

"Her system…it's astounding. It looks like it was made for two hearts," another doctor breathed.

"But she only has one. I don't know what it is. We checked her records for any records of experimentation or freak accidents, but there's nothing. However, it doesn't look like she'll be able to carry the baby full term," the first doctor said.

"That won't be a problem. I was just in there. She was asking how soon she could get an abortion. Woman was saying how she wanted to start a family, just not right now. Wants to dispose of the baby as soon as she can," a female doctor said in disgust. Freya gasped quietly as her eyes finally landing on the name on the top of the ultrasounds. Kim O'Leary.

Her mother.

"Not with this system, she won't. There's something not quite right. And any abnormalities could be passed on to the child. If she aborts the baby, there's no chance of her being able to have another," a different doctor observed.

"What should we tell her? We have no idea what this even is. I doubt she does. She doesn't seem very intelligent, and I don't want her running off trying to get other tests run. This…this isn't natural," the first doctor asked. The doctors all exchanged looks of confusion.

The Doctor released her hand and strode into the room.

"Excuse me. I'm the Doctor. And I might have a solution for you," the Doctor said with a cheeky smile. Each doctor stared at him in confusion as he whipped out a piece of paper that, from where she was standing, looked blank. Each of them nodded as they read it, eyes focused on him.

"There now. That's good. Now, there's no need to alarm her in saying her body's different. What are the odds it'll transfer to the child?" the Doctor asked. He hadn't noticed the name, Freya realized.

"Very high. We noticed it in the infant first. The baby will be similar, if not more mutated, than the mother," the first doctor explained. The Doctor nodded at his words.

"Tell her she has to have the baby or she will never have a family. No need in her killing the wee child before he or she is born. If the mother is as stupid as you claim she is, don't tell her it's hereditary. Make her think is has to do with the baby alone. And recommend her staying away from doctors," the Doctor offered. Before another word could be said, he strolled right back out of the office. Freya's eyes were wide as they made it down the hall.

"Right. Now. What room do we need to go to?" the Doctor asked her pleasantly, finally seeing her expression of horror. He turned back towards the room, then back at her, the pieces finally clicking in his mind.

"That's why. That's why they hated me," Freya murmured.

"Wait – your parents. Your parents hate you. And you say they have since this point?" the Doctor asked her, staring at her. Freya nodded.

"Grandmother used to tell me that she was never really excited for me. Never wanted a child until her late twenties. Then she was pregnant with me and decided she wanted an abortion, but something changed her mind. But she resented me for every second of the pregnancy," Freya murmured.

"No wonder the Nyonx came after you. With that much grief, you were an easy target. An easy, important target," the Doctor murmured, staring at the heartbroken girl.

"You did that!" Rose accused, staring at him. The Doctor was startled by her sudden outburst.

"Excuse me?" he asked, staring at her. Rose pointed towards the room where the doctors were now leaving and heading towards what she knew was her parents' room.

"You caused her parents to hate her with your words!" Rose pointed out. The Doctor's eyes widened.

"No. That wasn't his fault. They already did. He couldn't have known that would happen. And it had happened before as well," Freya defended quietly. Rose spun on the girl, shocked.

"But you just heard him! You know why your parents hated you! Aren't you the slightest bit upset?" Rose demanded. Freya's eyes instantly glued themselves to the ground.

"No. Because it had to happen. I didn't come back to change it. That would change me. If he hadn't said anything, they might've aborted me," Freya said. She slowly lifted her eyes to the pair of them, noting the shock rolling off both the Doctor and Rose.

"Should we get going? I believe it's Rose's turn," Freya said quietly, mustering up a small smile. She started walking, a feeling of relieve sweeping through her when she heard the footsteps of the Doctor and Rose behind her.

"That's it? Don't you want to explore a bit? See what's happening?" the Doctor tried.

"No. It's okay. I've…" Freya was cut off when she collided with someone. She fell to the ground, as did the other person. Freya quickly tried standing back up, glancing at the person.

Her throat nearly closed up.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," the woman she'd run into said, pushing herself to her feet. She looked at Freya and smiled before the smile morphed into one of pure excitement.

"It's you! You're here! I knew you'd come!" she said, reaching quickly for Freya. The Doctor intercepted the woman's arm, glancing in between Freya's looks of absolute shock and the woman's look of pure job.

"Who are you? How did you know we would be here?" the Doctor asked her. He shot Freya a suspicious look, but Freya didn't even notice.

"Grandma?" Freya asked hesitantly. The woman nodded excitedly.

It was her grandmother. The one that'd left her the house. The only woman who truly cared about her, outside of her mystery man. Her grandmother, who had died when she was seven.

"Let's go down to the cafeteria. We need to sit and talk. At least, that's what I was told," she said with a wide and loving smile. She reached past the Doctor this time, pulling Freya into a warm hug. Freya didn't know how to react.

"Before we go anywhere with you, tell us how you knew we'd be here," the Doctor said coldly. Her grandmother sighed and pulled away, staring sharply at the Doctor.

"You're still the same impatient man I met years ago, even if you do have a different face. More so now, I'd assume. You told me you'd be here. You and Freya told me you'd visit me," her grandmother explained with yet another smile. Freya opened her mouth, so many questions brimming in her mind. Her grandmother shook her head with a sad smile.

"I'm dead in your time. I know that. I could tell the moment I ran into you. The loneliness, darling, it rolls off of you in waves, just like it did when you were a kid. You're so alone. But you shouldn't be. You don't have to be," she said, grasping her granddaughter's hand.

"She's not alone. She has us. Right, Doctor?" Rose asked, smiling up at the Doctor. Her hand slid into the Doctors and the Doctor held out a hand to Freya. Freya looked surprised to see the hand offered to her and tentatively took it. The feeling of relieve and warmth was almost instant. Her grandmother laughed at her.

"You never changed. Still craving physical contact," her grandmother said. Freya allowed a tiny smile on her lips.

"Smile more, darling. Smile more. Your future self told me to tell you that. And about this depression: it's only temporary. Life does move on. Your life moves on," her grandmother told her, nearly causing Freya to cry.

But her grandmother wasn't done. She bypassed Freya, instead moving close to the Doctor.

"You will help her. It may not seem like it now, but you'll change her entire world. And one day, you'll make her greatest dream come true," she whispered, her voice so quiet Rose and Freya couldn't hear her. She pulled back almost as quickly as she'd leaned in.

"Cecilia, what are you doing? I thought we were here for Kim and here you are gabbing in the hallway?" a voice called from down the hallway. Both the Doctor and Rose's eyes widened. A blonde came strolling down the hallway towards them, eyes locked on Freya's grandmother.

"Mum?" Rose whispered, her voice barely carrying to Freya.

"Yes, we are. I've run into some family of mine," her grandmother said, gesturing towards them.

"Family? I don't seem to recall ever meeting them," the blonde scoffed.

"Jackie, you haven't met all of the family. You and Pete haven't been married all that long. My son hasn't stayed in contact with much of the family," her grandmother said. Freya glanced over at the other two, eyes wide.

Rose had called her Mum. And her grandmother just called Rose's Mum's husband her son.

Did that make her and Rose…cousins?

"Blimey, you've gone and made this domestic," the Doctor mumbled, clearly distraught at the idea.

"Freya, this is Jackie, my son's wife. Jackie, this is Freya. She's my sister's child. The man is her husband, and the girl is a cousin of hers," her grandmother said with a wink at Freya. Jackie nodded before turning back to her grandmother.

"What room's Kim in? I'll never hear the end of it, her being pregnant before me. What's the news?" Jackie asked, ignoring us. Freya's grandmother stared at Jackie for a moment.

"It sounds like she's going to have a very lonely child," her grandmother said. Jackie shook her head.

"Lonely child? The things you come up with. Let's go. Nice meeting you, Freya, husband, cousin," Jackie said as she whisked Freya's grandmother away.

"So…we're cousins? How did I not know that? I thought I knew all of my family!" Rose exclaimed, staring at Freya.

"My parents didn't stay in contact with much of the family, save my grandmother. And she died when I was little," Freya murmured.

"I had another grandmother I never met," Rose murmured as well.

"So sometime in the future, we go and visit her. Tell her what to tell us. But what did the rest of her words mean? You had a different face? And she knew Rose was my cousin. So she said my cousin. Why did she call you my husband? What did she say to you?" Freya asked, her words stronger than they had been since she'd woken up. The Doctor shrugged helplessly.

"Nothing important. We should probably get going. I'm slightly confused, and that doesn't happen often," the Doctor said with a large grin.

"But what did she mean?" Rose persisted as well, wanting answers almost as bad as Freya did.

"I don't know. So let's get out of here," the Doctor finally said once more, frustrated. Freya tentatively slid her hand into his, hoping it would do as a signal that she was ready to go, would go. Rose sighed and finally took his other hand. The three of them made their way out of the hospital and back to the TARDIS rather quickly.

"Now, Rose, your turn. Forwards or backwards? I feel like showing off," the Doctor said with a larger than life grin. Freya smiled slightly at his actions.

"Forwards," Rose decided.

"How far?"

"A hundred years?" Rose sounded unsure, as if she didn't truly believe him. Freya knew he could do it. After all, he'd proven himself for her. The Doctor grinned at her and started pressing buttons. He stopped after a few minutes.

"There we are. 100 years in your future," the Doctor said with a cheeky grin. Rose's eyes went wide.

"Outside, it's 100 years in my future?" Rose asked in disbelief.

"You're right. Not impressive enough," the Doctor said and he started pressing buttons once more. Freya watched him, almost amused. She felt the warm presence envelope her once more.

The presence of the TARDIS.

It was like a long-lost friend.

She ignored Rose and the Doctor as he grinned once more and pressed even still more buttons.

"How about you step outside now?" he asked her, a smug grin on his face. Rose started to but stopped. She glanced back at Freya, whose eyes were closed and a small smile was on her lips. Rose walked over and grabbed the girl's hand, startling her.

"Come on!" Rose said with a grin. Freya allowed herself to be pulled to her feet, feeling slightly shocked. She hadn't been expecting the girl to like her.

Then again, she had just discovered that Freya was her cousin. That might have something to do with it.

Rose pushed the door open and tentatively stepped out, Freya behind her.

The Doctor walked in front of them and pushed a button, causing a grey wall to split apart and reveal an image of the earth.

They were in space.

The Doctor grinned at the girls' stunned looks.

"The year's five point five slash apple slash twenty-six. Five billion years in the future. And this…hold on," he said, glancing up from his watch as a solar flare…at least, Freya assumed it was a solar flare…occurred.

"This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of Earth."

His words shocked Freya and Rose. The two of them stared at the earth sadly.

"Wait. I thought that took hundreds of years," Rose said, turning to the Doctor.

"Thousands, actually," he corrected her.

"Shouldn't the continents have moved? Or is that a lie?" Freya asked quietly.

"No. They moved. But they were shifted back. And the solar flares have been held back. But the money's run out. Time's up," the Doctor stated apathetically.

"Is that why we're here? Are you going to rush in and save the earth?" Rose asked excitedly. The Doctor shook his head bluntly.

"Nope. It's the Earth's time," the Doctor stated.

"But what about the people?" Freya questioned, feeling herself growing concerned.

"The people have all left. Touched about every planet, I'd wager," the Doctor reassured them.

Freya opened her mouth, wanting to ask something else, anything else, when a voice sounded from behind them.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

The three of them spun around to see a blue man staring angrily at them. Freya's chest tightened momentarily until she noted the difference in this blue man and the blue men who'd gotten inside her head.

"Oh, that's nice. Thanks," the Doctor responded pleasantly.

"This place has been secured. The guests should be arriving any minute!" the blue man fretted.

"That's us! We're guests. I'm the Doctor, and this is Freya O'Leary and Rose Tyler. They're my plus two. Is that okay?" the Doctor asked, holding out a piece of paper to the man….er, alien. The blue alien nodded.

"What's that?" Rose asked. Freya stared at the blank piece of paper, wondering what the blue alien had seen.

"Psychic paper. Shows people what I want them to see," the Doctor said with a grin. The blue man sighed and walked away, leading them out of the room and into another where they were announced as other aliens came in as well.

Freya's head spun at the sight. Going to the past was one thing, but this? This was crazy.

A tree…person…came up to them, smiling.

"I give you a cutting of my grandfather as a peace offering," she said, handing a small potted tree to the Doctor. He smiled and handed it to Freya, who instantly stroked the tiny plant.

"Hello," Freya said quietly. The tree person regarded her with surprise.

"You know plants," she said simply. Freya looked up quickly, eyes wide.

"I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to do that?" she asked fearfully. The tree person laughed and shook her head.

"No, but you're the first. I'm Jabe. And you are?" she asked, intrigued. Freya looked up at the Doctor, unsure.

"This is Freya O'Leary," the Doctor introduced. Jabe and the other trees' eyes widened.

"Isn't that the name of our founder?" one of the other tree people asked. Freya's own eyes went wide. The Doctor glanced between Freya and the trees.

"What year are you from, child?" Jabe asked her gently, noting the girl's panic.

"2005," Freya whispered, gripping the potted plant tightly.

"Then don't die anytime soon. You're the reason we exist," Jabe told her with a smile. She turned to the Doctor, noting his expression.

"I hope you enjoy your gift of peace," Jabe said. The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Oh right! Gifts!" he said, patting himself down. After a moment he straightened his jacket.

"I give you air from my lungs," the Doctor said, leaning closer as he exhaled over the trees. Jabe closed her eyes, breathing it in.

"How very…intimate. How often does Freya receive that gift?" Jabe asked, her wooden eyebrows waggling at Freya. Freya's entire face turned a dark scarlet at the words.

"Oh, all the time," the Doctor said, not noticing the tree's expression. Rose giggled at the interaction as the trees walked away.

"She was implying that you kiss her," Rose told the Doctor, causing his eyes to widen and his own cheeks to turn red. Before he could apologize or say anything to Freya, another group of people came up to them.

Freya took a small step backwards and slowly walked away from Rose and the Doctor. She wanted to be alone. Away from everything. Away from this crazy place.

She turned around once she was sure they hadn't noticed she was gone. And came face to face with…a large face. Freya bit back a scream as someone steadied her.

"Whoa there. Don't want to fall over," the man who steadied her said. Freya opened her mouth but the man gestured towards the face.

_Hello Freya. It's been awhile._

The words came inside her mind. Her eyes widened at the words as she glanced around the room suspiciously before her eyes landed on the face.

_Yes. That was me. I'm the Face of Boe._

The face's lips didn't move. He was speaking through her head. The thought made Freya shiver. He was inside her head. Just like the other aliens had been. And like the Doctor probably had been. Could all aliens get in her head? Was her head ever going to be just hers again?

A chuckle resonated in her head.

_I'm not in your head. I'm telepathic. I'm merely talking to you._

Freya tried to nod but felt overwhelmed. Her legs wobbled and she sank to the ground quickly. A set of hands pulled her to her feet carefully. She glanced over her shoulder to see the Doctor holding her up.

"We're terribly sorry for bothering you," the Doctor said politely. Again, Freya could hear the chuckling in her head.

_It's no bother. I was the one who wished to speak with her. Take care of her, Doctor._

The Face of Boe nodded to both of them and the Doctor nodded before attempting to help Freya walk away. It took a few steps but she finally got control of her legs and was able to walk on her own.

"Where's Rose?" Freya asked the Doctor as they left the main room.

"She ran off just before I found you. I didn't realize you'd left. Don't wander off," the Doctor warned her. Freya nodded, chagrined. Her eyes remained on the floor as the Doctor lead them through the observation deck. He stopped abruptly and grabbed Freya's free hand, causing her eyes to shoot up to his.

The sudden contact sent a smile to her lips unbidden. The Doctor smiled right back at her.

"It's okay. Don't worry. I was just worried. You never know how dangerous these places can be," the Doctor warned her. Freya gave him a smile and nodded, but the smile was smaller than her first smile. The two of them walked into the observation room where Rose was sitting down, a small round ball next to her. Freya assumed it was a gift, sort of like the plant she was still carrying.

"How're you holding up?" the Doctor asked as he sat down next to Rose. Freya tentatively sat down on the other side of the Doctor. She stared outside, ignoring the Doctor and Rose's conversation as she examined the Earth.

It was truly beautiful. She could see why some people could never be content staying on Earth after seeing such a beautiful sight. It made her never want to live a normal life again.

No. She needed a normal life. She would go back to a normal life. There was no reason the Doctor would want her around. He said he'd take her on an adventure. This was an adventure.

"Your turn."

The Doctor's words made her jump. She looked up at him in alarm, noticing his open hand extended towards her. Rose was on her cell phone, babbling away to someone. Freya's eyes widened and she dug around in her hoodie pocket, pulling out her cell phone. It had been off when she'd left. She hadn't remembered it.

"How did you know I had a cell phone with me?" Freya asked as he pulled the back off and started working on it.

"It was in your pocket when you went into your coma. I switched it off so it wouldn't be dead when you woke up," the Doctor explained, turning the phone on.

And promptly winced.

"What?" Freya asked, moving closer to him.

"You have quite a few missed calls. And messages," the Doctor said. Freya flipped the phone, ready to start sifting through them, when the phone rang. Her eyes widened as she stared at the phone.

Her mother was calling.

Freya tentatively pressed the talk button and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" Freya answered, preparing herself.

"HELLO? Are you kidding me? Where are you? What are you doing? Why did I get a call from your work saying you haven't shown up in weeks? Where have you been? And why did they call me?" her mother spat. Freya winced at the tone. She rarely talked to her mother.

"I've been working there since I was seventeen. They needed a contact and you were my only contact at the time. I'm sorry. I'll change it when I go back," Freya murmured.

"It doesn't matter! You've been fired. I told them to go ahead and do it. If you wanted a job that bad, you'd have showed up for it," her mother said disdainfully.

"Is everything okay?" the Doctor asked her, noting her winces.

"Is that a man? So you're out, sleeping around with men now, are you?" her mother accused loudly, so loudly the Doctor could hear it plain as day. He snatched the phone from her without a second thought.

"She is not sleeping around. You should speak better to your only child. She's been violently ill for a few weeks and is only now better enough to move around. It's nice to know you care," the Doctor spat before hanging up the phone.

"It's okay. She's always like that," Freya muttered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear subconsciously. She sent a quick text to Marie, letting her know she was okay. And put the phone away.

"I'm glad my mother reacted better than that," Rose observed, trying to lighten the mood.

"I've been missing for weeks," Freya admitted. The Doctor stiffened at her words.

"Yeah. You have. I thought you told your friend you were taking a vacation," the Doctor said carefully.

"I did. But I didn't call work. So they called my mother. And she recommended they fire me," Freya admitted.

"Then I guess it's a good thing you have a new job," the Doctor told her with a grin.

"What job would that be?" Rose asked curiously.

"Freya, would you do me the honors of being my companion?" the Doctor asked her, a grin still on his face.

"Companion?" Freya asked, eyebrows shooting up. Rose's own eyes were wide as well. It was only then that the Doctor realized their horror.

"No! No, I didn't mean it like that! I meant as a mate!" the Doctor tried correcting himself, but it only made the girls' eyes widen even more.

"A FRIEND! A friend to travel with!" the Doctor said once more. Both Freya and Rose relaxed at his change of words.

"I wouldn't mind," Freya said quietly. The Doctor's grin became a full-blown smile and he picked her up, spinning her around.

"Fantastic!" he cheered just as the observation station shook. The shaking made him stop mid-swing, Freya still hanging in the air in his arms.

"That's not supposed to happen," the Doctor said, a grin appearing once more on his face as he placed Freya back on the ground.

The three of them took off running for the main area, only pausing long enough to hear an announcement trying to give a reason behind the sudden shaking.

The Doctor shook his head as they approached Jabe. Jabe gave Freya a warm smile, one she could only offer a poor imitation of.

"That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What do you think, Jabe? Listened to the engines. They're pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?" the Doctor asked the tree.

She stared blankly at him, as if she understood as little of his words as Freya did.

"It's metal. The sound of metal never made much sense to me," Jabe told him bluntly. Freya bit back a giggle at her words, but Jabe still noticed the girl's movement and smiled at her once more.

"Where's the engine room?" the Doctor prodded her once more, ignoring the girls behind him.

"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is right behind our guest suite. I could show you and your wife," Jabe said, gesturing towards Freya.

"And friend," Jabe added quickly, noticing Rose once more.

"She's not my wife," the Doctor said quickly, glancing back at Freya. This was the second time someone had suggested they were married.

"Partner?" Jabe asked, confused.

"No," the Doctor answered, allowing himself to be more cheerful this time.

"Concubine?" Jabe tried, appearing to become even more confused. Freya's eyes widened at the direction the conversation was going.

"Nope," the Doctor told her once more.

"Prostitute?" Jabe tried. Rose grabbed Freya's arm.

"Whatever she is, she must be invisible. We'll just go talk with Michael Jackson over there," Rose said. Freya's eyes widened and her hand shot out for the Doctor's jacket, gripping it tightly. She couldn't think of why she did it. There was no logical reasoning, but she just really didn't want to leave the Doctor's side. Not with all these people here, these people who could get inside her brain. He'd protected her before. He could do it again, right?

"You can go. Freya'll come with us. Don't start a fight," the Doctor warned with a smile. Rose eyed Freya for a moment before releasing the girl's hand.

Rose walked away from them, straight for the flat…human? Freya hesitated to even call her a human. The Doctor tugged her hand from his jacket and entwined their fingers before offering his arm to Jabe.

"We're all yours," he told her. Jabe took it and smiled, both at the Doctor and Freya.

"I don't understand. What is your relationship? The history books stated that our founder was in a relationship," Jabe questioned. The Doctor glanced down at Freya, eyes wide.

"Are you sure Freya is your founder?" the Doctor asked her. Jabe nodded before pulling out an odd looking box. It held two pictures on it, one of the Doctor and one of Freya.

"It recognized her as almost human immediately and our founder seconds later. It also recognized you. It didn't want to tell me who you were. Like it didn't believe you existed," Jabe said, watching the Doctor. He stiffened at her words.

"Almost human?" he asked. Jabe nodded.

"That's why it was so easy to identify her as the founder. She has the odd birth defect. But she's not quite human," Jabe explained. Freya blocked the words from her mind, allowing the Doctor to pull her along. As he did, she noticed metal spider-looking creatures. Her eyes widened and she started to tug on the Doctor's hand but stopped. He was busy.

She tried pulling her hand free of his but his only tightened moreso on her hand. She allowed him to drag her along.

"So you've talked about me and Freya. What about you? Why are you here?" the Doctor asked, bringing Freya from her thoughts.

"Respect for the Earth," Jabe told them serenely.

"Oh come on. Everyone on this platforms worth millions," the Doctor scoffed. Jabe shrugged casually at his accusation.

"It may have been a case of having to be seen at the right event," she stated.

"So it's to make sure your shares don't drop? I know you trees. You have roots all over the place," the Doctor scoffed at her once more.

"All the same, we hold respect for the Earth. It's where we came from. My species came from the Earth. I'm a direct descendent of a tropical rainforest," Jabe explained with a smile. She winked at Freya, who did her best to simply smile back.

The Doctor opened a door leading to the Engine room, dropping her arm in the process. She shivered at the loss of contact and the Doctor shrugged his jacket off, wrapping it around her shoulders.

"If you want to wait right here, we'll be right out," he told her with a small smile. He started to walk away but stopped, moving back towards her as Freya pulled her arms into the jacket sleeves.

"I need to grab my screwdriver," the Doctor told her before pulling the jacket back and reaching deep inside one of the inside pockets. Freya's eyes widened as it took him a few minutes before he finally pulled a slim metal stick from her pocket, one that did not resemble a screwdriver.

He flashed her another smile and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before dashing into the Engine room with Jabe.

Freya stood there for a moment, in shock. No one had ever given her a kiss before. Ever. Not even her grandmother. Not even on the cheek, or forehead.

She was pulled from her thoughts where she heard someone coming behind them. She quickly hid in a doorway, peeking out to see the creepy black-robed aliens dragging Rose down the hallway. They disappeared into a room with her and left without her, locking the room. Freya watched intently as they pressed quite a few buttons on the panel next to the room and the doors slid shut.

The moment they disappeared, Freya took off running for the door. She tried pulling it open, but nothing happened. It was locked. And she couldn't remember the sequence of the code they'd pushed in.

She had to help Rose! What if something happened to her in there? Freya racked her brain, trying to think of anything that could possibly get her out. But what could she do?

Her mind went back to high school, when her and Marie had wanted to be spies. They used to do all sorts of things they'd seen in movies. One of the things they'd seen had to do with fingerprints to figure out passwords.

She dug around in the pockets, hoping to find something useful. Freya's hand closed around something thin, sort of like a mini flashlight. She pulled it out, only to realize it looked almost identical to the screwdriver the Doctor had pulled out. Freya examined it, pressing a button. A blue light came out, causing her to smile. She pointed it at the keyboard and pressed the button.

Instead of showing her fingerprints, the keyboard exploded. Freya's eyes widened. Oh no. That wasn't good. She tried pushing a few different buttons on the screwdriver but had no idea what any of them did. She couldn't risk blowing the computer itself up!

But what about the lock? She could blow it up. Then she could open the door. Freya pointed it at the door and pressed the button, squeezing her eyes shut as she did.

When she opened her eyes, the door was smoking slightly. Freya quickly shoved on it, astonished when it flew open.

Rose was lying on the ground at the bottom of the observation room. Freya shoved the screwdriver thing back into her pocket and ran down the stairs, looping her arms under Rose's arms.

She had no clue when the aliens would be back. They had to get out fast. Freya dragged Rose's body up the stairs as fast as she dared. The movement warmed her up and she thought of taking the jacket off. No. No extra hands. And the Doctor would want his jacket back.

As soon as she reached the top stair, she heard something.

"Sun filters descending."

The sound was accompanied with the top of the room's window starting to turn into a burning light. Freya's eyes widened and she pulled Rose out of the room with a strength she didn't realize she possessed. As soon as Rose was out of the way of the door, Freya pushed the door shut.

As soon as the door was shut, she sank to the ground in front of it, eyes closing. Exhaustion settling in. So tired. She just wanted to sleep.

"Freya? Freya, are you alright?" a voice called. She felt herself being shaken moments later and her eyes slowly cracked open. Jabe was standing in front of her, eyes wide. The moment their eyes met, Jabe sighed in relief.

"She's okay, Doctor," Jabe said. Freya tilted her head, glancing over at the Doctor. He was using his screwdriver on the screen, trying to fix whatever was happening.

"What happened to the keyboard?" the Doctor asked, glancing over at me.

"I was trying to see fingerprints so I could unlock it, but I accidentally blew it up," Freya admitted.

"With what?" the Doctor asked, astonished. Freya pulled the screwdriver from her pocket and his face lit up.

"I didn't realize I had a spare!" he exclaimed. He pushed one last button on the screen before putting his screwdriver in his jean pocket.

"Can you walk?" the Doctor asked Freya. She gripped the door behind her and tried pulling herself to her feet but swayed. The Doctor scooped her up, not even giving herself a chance to recover. He glanced over at Rose, who Jabe was currently helping to stand up.

"We need to go back to the main area. Jabe, can you help Rose? When we get there, she's probably going to need to sit down for awhile," the Doctor said. Jabe nodded, roping a wooden arm around Rose's waist to help hold her up. The Doctor took off running, Freya gripping onto his shirt tightly.

"Is my jacket warm enough for you?" the Doctor asked her as he turned a corner.

"Yes. Thank you. You must be cold," Freya murmured. The Doctor smiled, not even looking down at her.

"Nah."

They crashed into the main room, where everyone was starting to panic. Jabe was right behind them, Rose looking quite green at the quick movement.

Freya herself felt quite green. The Doctor and Jabe started talking, as did quite a few of the aliens, but Freya's head was spinning too much to follow. The only thing she really did follow was the flat…thing…transporting herself out.

"Heat levels rising."

The computer voice made Freya jump.

"Reset the computer," a small alien ordered.

"Only the Steward would know how," Jabe said sadly. Freya glanced at them, confused. What had happened to the Steward?

"No. We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Jabe, stay with Rose. We'll be back. You lot, just chill," the Doctor said before turning abruptly and running once more towards the engine room.

The words heat levels rising echoed behind them the entire way.

"Earth Death in two minutes," the computer voice continued. Two minutes? Did that mean they had two minutes? Freya's eyes widened at the words.

"Heat levels hazardous," the computer voice droned as the Doctor sat Freya on her feet. She was thrilled that she could stand on her own now.

"Guess where it is?" the Doctor said drily, eyes glued to the sharp, large fans speeding in front of them. He moved his way towards a lever. He pulled it down, causing the fans to slow. The moment he released the lever, the fans resumed full speed. Freya moved towards it and pulled it down. The Doctor's eyes widened on her.

"You can't do that! The heat's going to vent into here!" the Doctor cried. Freya shrugged off the jacket quickly, pulling the screwdriver from the pocket and slipping it in her dress pocket before wrapping the jacket around the lever. Then she pulled it back down.

"Then hurry," Freya told him, putting the majority of her weight on the lever. The Doctor shot her a look, one she couldn't quite interpret, before turning to face the first fan. After a moment of watching it, he ducked under it.

Freya felt warm. Truly warm. It was crazy. The air around her was shimmering, almost like a mirage. But she felt warm.

Then the warm changed. She was hot. She couldn't remember ever feeling so hot. Her eyes drifted down to the jacket, which was smoking. Oh. She was ruining his jacket. Her vision swam for a moment as she heard the computer counting down seconds.

And then it just stopped.

Everything stopped. Freya closed her eyes and slumped down, still warm.

When she woke up, she was lying in a bed not unlike the first one she'd awoken on. There was an IV in her arm and Rose was sitting in the chair next to her bed. At Freya's movement, Rose's head shot up.

"Doctor! Doctor, she's awake!" Rose shouted. A moment later, footsteps rang through the hallways and the Doctor appeared, looking quite rushed. When his eyes landed on her, they lit up.

"Hey! You're up. How are you feeling?" he asked her, quickly checking a monitor.

"I ruined your jacket," Freya said suddenly, feeling quite bad about it.

"Hey. It was just a jacket. I have more of them. I don't have more of you," the Doctor told her sternly.

"Can I get out of here?" Freya asked, glancing around the room. She felt rested. Moreso than she had after her coma. The Doctor's expression softened and he started removing the IV.

"Doctor, is there any way I can go home?" Rose asked quietly.

"You don't want to stay?" the Doctor asked in confusion. Rose hesitated but shook her head.

"I might want to travel with you again sometime, but…not right now. I…I saw people die, Doctor. And Freya almost died. I just…I want to spend some time with my mum. Can I travel with you again later?" Rose asked him tentatively. The Doctor nodded.

"Of course. I do have a time machine," the Doctor told her with a grin. He helped me stand and Rose led me towards the console room where the Doctor started flipping switches. He stopped after a few moments and headed towards the doors, flinging them open.

"There ya go. Home sweet home," the Doctor said drily. Rose stood and turned, facing Freya.

"I can't believe it took going to the past to meet my cousin," Rose said. Freya gave her a smile back.

"Can you do me a favor? I don't know how long I'll be gone. Can you contact my friend Marie? Let her know I'm safe?" Freya asked. Rose nodded quickly.

"Of course!" she said, offering her phone to Freya. Freya quickly typed Marie's number in the phone and handed it back to her. The two hugged once more and the Doctor ignored them as Rose left.

"I suppose you want to go home now too," the Doctor said, staring at the console. Freya's eyes went wide.

"Do you want me to go home?" she asked him fearfully. The Doctor's head jerked up.

"No. I just thought you'd want to. You've almost died, twice, in the two alien encounters you've had," the Doctor pointed out.

"I thought you were still trying to figure out what's so different about me," Freya countered, shocking herself at her words. The Doctor's mouth opened and then promptly closed.

"I guess this means you're in it for the long run?" the Doctor asked her. Freya must've imagined the hopefulness in his voice.

"Yeah. I guess I am."

**What do you think? Believe it or not, I have at least the first season almost entirely planned. Let me know what you liked and didn't like, but keep in mind I already have plans. I hope no one thinks my character is ridiculous. I'm working on her. She's...struggling, to say the least. It'll take her awhile to get normal moods. She's depressed, but won't ignore things that make her happy.**

**Oh, and I didn't realize when I started this fanfiction how many depressed OC stories there were. Sorry for that. But I like mine the way it is and how it is going and am trying to keep it as unique as possible. :)**

**Andi**


	3. The Unquiet Dead

**Because I got such a beautiful reception for the last chapter, I figured I'd give this to you a few days early. This one doesn't have any new adventures thrown in. Sorry. I was trying to keep the lengths about the same, and I ended up having to move the original adventure I created onto the beginning of the next chapter. Please enjoy!**

Chapter 3: The Unquiet Dead

Freya was thrown awake by the jerking of the TARDIS. Instantly she was comforted by the TARDIS, gold particles floating around her peacefully. Still, she staggered to her feet, throwing a robe over her nightclothes.

The Doctor had sent her to take a nap earlier and she had done just that. But something felt off. She wandered out of her room to the console room as the golden particles faded around her. They never stayed with her when she was within the Doctor's sight. She supposed that ought to be suspicious, but she couldn't care. The particles made her safe.

Almost as safe as the Doctor made her feel.

When she entered the console room, the Doctor was flitting around, grabbing levers and pushing buttons like some sort of maniac.

"Good! You're up! Grab that switch!" the Doctor ordered, pointing towards a switch on the console closer to her. She darted towards it, colliding with the TARDIS as it hit what she assumed was a rough patch.

"Hold that one down!" the Doctor shouted, pointing at a different lever.

"But I'm holding this one down," Freya protested.

"Hold 'em both down!" the Doctor shouted as he hit another button. Freya lunged for the lever just as the TARDIS stopped shaking.

"What happened?" Freya asked hesitantly. The Doctor was smiling, making her think they couldn't be anywhere too bad. Not with that expression, anyways.

"I promised you a time machine, and you're gonna get one. One that takes you out of the scope of your own life. Out that door is Naples, 1860, Christmas Eve," the Doctor said, a smug grin on his face. Freya's face lit up at his words.

"And we can go out there? It won't mess anything up?" she asked him.

"Nah," he said, smiling and shaking his head at her. She headed for the door but stopped just as he shouted at her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked her, slightly alarmed. She glanced down at her clothing.

"Do you have some sort of clothes I could wear? Ones that would be…time-appropriate?" Freya asked him. The Doctor beamed at her.

"Of course I do. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" he urged. Freya's mind spun at his instructions but she left the room nonetheless.

First left….second right…her mind went blank after that. But the TARDIS helped, shifting hallways in front of her very eyes before a door appeared in front of her. Freya couldn't keep the smile from her lips as she opened it to see a massive room full of clothes. And directly in front of her was a rack of clothes that Freya assumed fit the era they were in.

She grabbed the first one she saw, remembering how the Doctor told her to hurry. It took her longer than she'd expected as she struggled with the many layers of the dress. The corset itself took her much longer than it would have normally taken her to get dressed.

As she took off the dress, she noticed how filthy the poor thing was. The white dress was so worn, she was surprised it hadn't fallen apart already. She tossed in on the ground, hoping the TARDIS would take care of it.

When she'd finished getting dressed, she quickly ran out of the room and towards the console room. She arrived in time for the Doctor to leap up from wherever he'd been fiddling. His eyes trailed over the dressing gown, making Freya wish she'd picked a different outfit.

"Blimey!" he exclaimed, still staring at her.

"Don't laugh," she said, looking straight at the ground.

"You look beautiful," he told her, causing Freya's eyes to shoot up.

"…considering."

The Doctor's one addition threw her.

"Considering what?" Freya asked, struggling to keep her voice normal.

"Considering that you're human," he explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. To him, perhaps it was.

"Are we going?" Freya asked, gesturing towards the door. The Doctor nodded, heading for the door. Freya let him lead her to the door.

He opened the TARDIS door, revealing freshly fallen snow.

"After you," he said, his smile so big that it nearly split his face. Freya's eyes widened at the offer and she quickly stepped outside. She pulled her foot back quickly, staring down at her footprint. She'd just left a footprint in the past. A footprint that wouldn't have been there before.

She slowly stepped out of the TARDIS, spinning around to examine her surroundings. Everything was so beautiful. It was nothing like she'd seen before.

She started walking, albeit slowly, as the Doctor took her hand. Everything was new to her. It was breathtaking. The Doctor broke away from her for a moment, heading towards a newspaper stand. Freya kept walking, eyes greedily taking in the sights in front of her.

"I might have got the flight wrong," the Doctor said sheepishly.

"I don't care," Freya murmured, still amazed.

"It's not 1860, it's 1869," he said.

"I don't care," Freya said, shaking her head.

"It's not Naples," the Doctor continued.

"I wasn't even too sure where Naples was," Freya admitted.

"We're in Cardiff," the Doctor finished. Freya stopped walking for a moment, eyeing him.

"I know Cardiff," she muttered before walking quickly to catch up with him.

"So where are we going?" Freya asked him. The Doctor shrugged, offering his arm to her. She looped her arm through his, wishing he'd held out his hand again. It was chilly out here, and while he was warm, she was not.

"Wherever. I usually just wait for trouble," the Doctor answered cheekily.

"And you always find it?" Freya asked him in disbelief. He shook his head, smile still in place.

"No. It always finds me," he told her just as they heard screams coming from a large building in front of them.

"See?" he said before tugging her along behind him.

"Shouldn't you come up with a plan first?" Freya asked him, feeling terrified at the thought of running into a place where everyone was trying to escape without a plan or even the slightest idea as to what was wrong. The Doctor, however, didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with his logic. He pushed his way through the crowds, forcing Freya to try keeping up with him.

As soon as they'd entered, the Doctor ran straight for the stage.

"Did you see where it came from?" he asked excitedly. Freya, however, noticed a woman being dragged out of the theater.

"Doctor, I found her! I'll follow them!" she shouted, hurrying after the two people. The lady they were dragging away had to be the person causing the fuss. There was no other reason for the man and woman to be trying to hide the body as they carried it out.

"Be careful!" the Doctor shouted after her as she exited the building. She ran after the two, stopping as they loaded the woman into the back of a long….carriage. A hearse. The name chilled her to the bone.

"What are you doing?" Freya asked them. The girl looked up at her, shocked.

"Oh it's a tragedy miss. We'll take care of it," she said. The girl continued but Freya ignored her, reaching out to touch the woman's forehead. It was ice. Freya flinched back.

"She's ice cold. She's…she's dead, isn't she? What did you do?" Freya accused, terrified. She took a step back, only to feel two arms wrap around her tightly. One hand held a cloth over her nose and her vision faded very quickly to black.

When she came around, her head was pounding and she was colder than she'd been before. She hated being cold. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Once her eyes were open, she glanced around the room.

She was in a coffin. An opened coffin, thank goodness, but a coffin no less.

And a coffin next to her contained the dead woman the pair had been trying to escape with.

A dead woman who was currently sitting up.

Freya's eyes widened and she tried crawling out of the coffin, only to crash onto the floor, coffin and all. She let out a cry at the impact, quickly trying to pull herself out of the splintered wood. Her right leg was throbbing.

She managed to get to her feet, dragging herself to the door before collapsing once more. She reached for the doorknob, but it wouldn't turn.

"Help! Someone let me out of here!" Freya cried, beating on the door. She glanced over her shoulder to see the corpse coming closer. Only now there were two. A younger corpse was there as well now, both of them closing in on her.

"HELP!" Freya shouted loudly as the first one grabbed her, pulling her up by her neck. She was barely clear of the door before it was kicked open by the Doctor.

"I think this is my dance!" the Doctor shouted, ripping Freya from the corpses. Freya very nearly collapsed in relief at the sight of him, but managed to stay standing by gripping his arm tightly.

"It's a prank! It must be! We're under some mesmeric influence!" an older man said, eyes wide.

"Who's he?" Freya asked, staring at the man.

"Charles Dickens," the Doctor said cheerfully.

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you then? What do you want?" the Doctor asked the corpses.

"Failing. Open the rift! We're dying! Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us!" the corpse shouted in multiple voices. Freya jumped at the words before they faded away.

The group of them hesitantly made their way to the living room, where the man who'd drugged Freya was sitting in a chair. She felt a wave of fury envelop her, but more than that, she felt exhausted. She slumped against the Doctor, not even bothering to yell at the man.

The Doctor sat her down carefully before moving towards the man.

"You should get talking about what's going on. I do not appreciate you kidnapping my companion. And I'm rather curious about these creatures," the Doctor said, staring at him. The servant girl, as Freya identified her now, approached the Doctor and handed him a cup of tea similar to the cup the man already had.

"Here's your tea. Two sugars, sir, just as you like it," she said. Her words left the Doctor puzzled momentarily before he turned back to the man. Freya noticed the kitchen, where the servant girl had come out of, and made her way in there. She automatically started washing dishes.

"Miss! You shouldn't do that! It isn't proper!" the girl protested, rushing for her.

"I'm only trying to help. What's your name?" Freya asked, feeling slightly hurt.

"Gwyneth, miss. If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" Gwyneth asked shyly.

"I'm Freya. Who's the man in there? The one who drugged me?" Freya asked.

"That's Mr. Sneed. He's my master. He's not too bad. He pays me much more than anyone else would," Gwyneth defended quickly.

"But why did he drug me? What's happening with the bodies?" Freya asked, dreadfully curious.

"They've been coming to life, miss. Mr. Sneed thinks it's the house," Gwyneth explained. Freya nodded, continuing to wash the dishes. Gwyneth sighed quietly and helped dry them as Freya washed.

"Your servants must love you, miss, if you're so willing to help them as you are me," Gwyneth observed. Freya shook her head quickly.

"Oh no. I don't have servants. I take care of my entire house on my own," Freya told her with a rueful smile. Gwyneth looked at the other girl in shock.

"So you are all alone. Completely alone. I have Mr. Sneed. But you have no one. No one but the Doctor," Gwyneth murmured, staring straight into Freya's eyes. The plate Freya was washing slid from her hands into the dishwater with a loud thud.

"How did you..?" Freya drifted off as Gwyneth continued.

"Your parents…so cruel. If my parents had treated me like that, I would not have mourned them when they died. But yours are still alive. Still so cruel," Gwyneth murmured. Freya took a step back.

"How do you know that?" Freya asked the girl shakily.

"I can see it. And I can see your house. So beautiful, so isolated. But you're near London. A different London. People walking around half-naked, for shame. Strange metal moving boxes, and the birds in the sky, no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you, you've flown so far. Further than anyone. The things you've seen. The darkness you've felt. The gold lights….I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, miss!" Gwyneth gasped, snapping out of whatever haze she was in.

Freya shook her head, trying to offer a smile to the girl. Gold lights? Was she talking about the gold particles in the TARDIS. But why would they be mixed in with all the bad things? Was there something bad about the gold light?

"It's okay," Freya said quietly.

"I can't help it. Ever since I was a little girl, my mam told me I had the sight. She told me to hide it," Gwyneth explained to Freya.

"But it's getting stronger, more powerful, isn't it?" the Doctor asked from the doorway. Freya jumped at the sound of his voice, having not expected for him to pop in. Gwyneth nodded sadly.

"All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head," Gwyneth said sadly. Freya instinctively moved closer to the girl before wrapping her arms around Gwyneth in a very loose hug. The Doctor regarded Gwyneth seriously.

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key," he explained.

"I tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts," Gwyneth admitted almost shamefully. Freya's hug tightened.

"Well that should help. You can show us what to do," the Doctor told her, placing a smile on his lips for Gwyneth's benefit.

"What to do where, sir?" Gwyneth asked, confused.

"We're going to have a séance."

Freya didn't like the idea of a séance. She didn't like the idea of Gwyneth leading it. And she especially did not like the idea of whatever these creatures were that kept making the dead rise. As Gwyneth set up the area for a séance, Freya grabbed the Doctor's hand, pulling him aside.

"Doctor…I don't like this. I have a really bad feeling," she said nervously, hoping he wouldn't think she was just scared.

"Nonsense. If we can help them, we will. It's like back at the observation deck," the Doctor pointed out.

"But you also said that everything has its time. That everything dies," Freya shot back. The Doctor looked none too pleased to have his own words thrown back at him.

"Yes. But if there's a chance to save lives, we take it. This isn't a fixed point in history. We can change this," the Doctor told her rather harshly, moving back towards Gwyneth. Gwyneth shot Freya an apologetic look before she called everyone over, mentioning something of another séance she'd seen.

"I can't take part in this," Charles Dickens protested angrily. Freya agreed with him wholeheartedly. She had an aching feeling. This wasn't a good idea. But she didn't want to speak out against the Doctor again.

"Humbug? Come on, open mind," the Doctor told him cheerfully as he sat down in a chair. Charles Dickens remained standing. Freya tentatively joined the circle, sitting next to Gwyneth instead of the Doctor. If the Doctor was hurt by her choice of seating, he didn't say anything about it.

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing. The other girl has the right idea," Charles Dickens said, gesturing towards Freya. Freya's head lowered itself immediately. She hadn't realized that Charles Dickens had heard what she'd said.

Now she was causing problems.

"Freya has no idea what she's talking. And you don't want to go antagonizing Gwyneth. Everyone loves a happy medium," he said, his sharp expression melting as he cracked his joke. No one responded to it, not even Freya. The Doctor sighed at the reaction before turning back to Dickens.

"Come on. We might need you," he said. Dickens sighed and moved to sit down between the Doctor and Freya.

"Good man. Now, Gwyneth, reach out," the Doctor commanded gently. Freya squeezed Gwyneth's hand tightly in her, causing Gwyneth to give her a comforting look.

"Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us so that we may relieve your burden," Gwyneth called out, staring upwards. Around the room, a sort of whispering started. It began as a quiet murmur but started to grow, grow so that Freya could hear actual voices.

"Can you hear that?" Mr. Sneed asked, glancing around the room fearfully.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly," Charles Dickens scoffed, but even he appeared to be nervous. And his hand was shaking inside of Freya's hand. Gwyneth's eyes were glued upward.

"I see them. I feel them," Gwyneth murmured. Tendrils of gas seemed to be drifting over their heads, the colors eerie. Freya's bad feeling intensified.

"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you. You're controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through," the Doctor urged, also staring at the tendrils of colored gas.

"I can't!" Gwyneth exclaimed. Her own hands were shaking now. Freya gripped Gwyneth's hand tighter.

"Yes you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link," the Doctor told her, lowering his gaze from the ceiling to her. Even through Gwyneth wasn't paying attention, his words of encouragement seemed to be all he needed.

"Yes," she murmured. Behind her, outlines of people appeared. They were purple in color, as were the tendril of gas now. A shiver went down Freya's spine. They were not good. This was not good.

"Great God! Spirits from the other side!" Mr. Sneed exclaimed, looking quite horrified from Gwyneth's other side. Freya could share his horror.

"The other side of the universe," the Doctor corrected him, still watching the blue people.

"Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us," Gwyneth said in time with two of the figures. The voices sounded almost childlike, temporarily making Freya's heart go out for them. But the bad feeling still remained. Even if they were children, they weren't good children.

"What do you want us to do?" the Doctor asked them. Freya wished he'd listened to her.

"The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge," the creatures - no, the Gelth – urged.

"What for?" the Doctor asked, almost suspiciously. He glanced over at Freya for the first time since they'd begun the séance, noting her remaining unease.

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction," the Gelth said. Their words felt false. Freya had no way of proving it. She had to be going crazy. But the room seemed to be getting colder.

"Why? What happened?" the Doctor asked them.

"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came," the Gelth and Gwyneth said in unison.

"War? What war?" Charles Dickens asked, glancing between Freya and the Doctor in confusion.

"The Time War. The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state," the Gelth explained. The Doctor's entire expression shifted to one of eerie calmness. It frightened Freya more than the coldness in the room. Time War.

He said he was a Time Lord. Did that relate? Was this Time War what killed all of his people? It must have been.

"So that's why you need the corpses," the Doctor said flatly.

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us," the Gelth pleaded.

"No," Freya said instinctively.

The Doctor's eyes slid over to her.

"Why not?" he questioned her, his tone serious. Freya considered her words. She had nothing. No defense that would convince him of her feelings. She lowered her head.

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth," the Gelth pleaded as they faded back into the gas lamps on the wall. Gwyneth collapsed onto the table, her hand dropping from Freya's.

"Gwyneth?" Freya asked her new friend quietly. Dickens was murmuring behind her, but she ignored him as she helped Gwyneth up and onto a couchlike piece of furniture.

"You need rest," Freya told the girl gently.

"But my angels miss. They came, didn't they? They need me!" she said urgently. Freya glanced up to see the Doctor standing over them, his eyes full of turmoil.

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're their only chance of survival," the Doctor said. He shot a look at Freya, daring her to question him. Freya wanted to stand up for Gwyneth.

But she also knew Gwyneth really wanted to do this. Freya said nothing, instead leaving and getting a wet clothe from the kitchen to rest on Gwyneth's forehead. The Doctor, Mr. Sneed, and Charles Dickens al began arguing. She came back and placed it on Gwyneth's forehead just as Gwyneth was speaking up.

"Don't I get a say?" she asked the men in the room. All of them turned on her, almost sheepishly.

"You're just a woman," Mr. Sneed pointed out.

"I know you think I'm stupid. All of you do. Except Miss Freya. Doctor, what do I have to do?" she asked. She reached out and squeezed Freya's hand, which Freya gladly reciprocated.

"You don't have to do anything," the Doctor told her, guarded now at the words Gwyneth had chosen.

"They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on a holy mission. So tell me," Gwyneth said, sitting up and taking the cloth from her head. She handed it to Freya who merely sat it on the armrest of the couch.

"We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mr. Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?" the Doctor asked, spinning on Mr. Sneed.

"That would be the morgue," Mr. Sneed said, looking highly uncomfortable at the conclusion.

"Too bad it wasn't the gazebo," the Doctor murmured.

Mr. Sneed led their small group down a set of stairs to a cold basement. The basement was filled with tables, each holding a dead body under a dingy white sheet. It was even colder down there than it was upstairs. Freya shivered, pulling herself closer to the Doctor.

He glanced down at the girl and shrugged his jacket off once more, handing it to her.

"I might as well just get a second jacket. You seem to wear mine more than me," he grumbled as she slid her arms into the sleeves. The added layer helped keep the cold at bay.

"Ugh. Talk about Bleak House," the Doctor joked, glancing around the grim place. Freya swallowed, working up the urge to speak.

"Doctor, if the Gelth succeed, what happens to them? There weren't corpses walking around in 1869…were there?" Freya asked him.

"Time's in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that. Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing," the Doctor warned her.

"Docotor, I think the room is getting colder," Charles Dickens pointed out. Freya had to agree with him. A Gelth drifted out of a gas lamp by the door and stood under a stone archway. Even though it looked like an angel, Freya knew it wasn't. It was something else. Something darker.

"You've come to help us! Praise the Doctor. Praise him!" the Gelth cheered.

"Promise you won't hurt her!" Freya forced the words out of her mouth.

"Hurry. Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth," the Gelth continued, ignoring Freya's words.

"I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?" the Doctor told them, glancing back at Freya. He was starting to feel uncomfortable as well. He could at least sense the discomfort Freya had been sensing.

"My angels.I can help them live," Gwyneth said almost joyfully.

"Okay, where's the weak point?" the Doctor asked.

"Here, beneath the arch," the Gelth urged. Freya, who was standing closest to the arch, too a few steps back, stopping only when she bumped into a table. She quickly moved from the table as well.

"Beneath the arch," Gwyneth repeated as she moved towards the arch. She stood underneath it, standing almost inside of the Gelth.

"You don't have to do this," Freya called out. Gwyneth merely gave her a sad sort of smile.

"Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!" the Gelth cried.

"Yes. I can see you. I can see you! Come!" Gwyneth cried, urged.

"Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!" Gwyneth continued.

"It has begun. The bridge is made," the Gelth said. Gwyneth opened her mouth and the blue creatures came through. Freya moved farther back, hitting the table once more.

"She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend," the Gelth said, turning from a blue to a dark red, sharp teeth appearing. The voice morphed as well from a childlike voice to a harsh voice. Freya shivered as the blue gas started falling into the bodies around her.

"The Gelth will come through in force," the Gelth continued.

"You said that you were few in number!" Charles Dickens protested, eyes wide.

"A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses," the Gelth said almost cheerfully. The dead started to rise. Freya skittered around a dead body, almost running into another in the process. She was grateful they were moving so slow.

"Gwyneth, stop this! Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone! I beg of you!" Mr. Sneed begged the girl, just as a corpse came up behind him. Before Freya could even cry out, the corpse had snapped his neck. A Gelth went inside of him.

The Doctor shot her a look, one that was almost apologetic.

"I think it's gone a little bit wrong," he told her. His eyes widened as a dead body grabbed Freya. She twisted and kicked at its knees, hands flailing. Trying to keep it from snapping her neck as it had done Mr. Sneed.

"I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come, march with us," Mr. Sneed said, his voice sounding identical to that of the other GElth.

"No," Charles Dickens gasped, taking a step back from everything.

"We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead," the Gelth chanted. Freya slammed her elbow back, hearing a snap. She was dropped and she lunged for the Doctor, falling into his arms. She turned back, noticing in horror that the corpse that had been holding her now had a head that was dangling backwards.

She'd snapped his neck, like he'd been trying to do to her. She felt sick at the thought.

But it didn't stop him. The body merely held its head up as it advanced on them.

"Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!" the Doctor shouted, helping Freya to stand properly.

"Three more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth," the Gelth said in unison as they approached the Doctor and Freya.

"Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me," Charles Dickens said as he took off running up the stairs. The Doctor pulled open a gate, shoving Freya inside before slamming it behind him. He used his screwdriver, sonic screwdriver, to lock it, pulling Freya back to the wall.

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth," the Gelth droned on.

"I trusted you! I pitied you!" the Doctor shouted back at them.

"We don't want your pity. We want this world and all its flesh," the Gelth continued.

"Not while I'm alive," the Doctor said with a glare that sent a shiver down Freya's spin. She never wanted to be on the receiving end of that glare. It made her blood run cold.

"Then live no more!" the Gelth exclaimed. Freya turned to the Doctor.

"But…I can't die, can I? I haven't been born yet. I can't die if I haven't been born!" Freya begged, hoping he would tell her she was right. But she knew in her mind she was wrong.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, tearing his eyes from the Gelth to look down at her. To see the terror in her own eyes.

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you here," the Doctor said grimly.

"It's not your fault. You saved my life," Freya told him, not liking to see grief on his face caused by her. But he wasn't paying attention now.

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon in Cardiff," the Doctor said, almost sounding horrified at the thought.

"It's a morgue. That's worse. And it's not just dying. It's…becoming one of them," Freya said quietly, her voice quivering.

"We can fight them," Freya suggested quietly. The Doctor looked at her, almost surprised at her words.

"Yeah," he said, nodding.

"Together?" Freya asked tentatively. The Doctor gave her a smile before lacing his fingers with hers.

"Yeah. I'm so glad I met you," the Doctor told her earnestly.

"Me too," Freya whispered, only to see Charles Dickens run in from the corner of her eye. Her head whipped around quickly.

"Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!" Charles Dickens exclaimed. Freya turned instinctively to the lamp, but she hadn't the slightest clue how to do what Dickens was saying.

"What're you doing?" the Doctor asked him in disbelief.

"Turn it all on. Flood the place!" Charles Dickens continued, almost excitedly. The Doctor's own eyes lit up as he spun around to the lamp.

"Brilliant! Gas!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous!" Charles Dickens exclaimed.

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host! Suck them into the air like the poison from a wound!" the Doctor nodded, doing quickly as Charles Dickens had suggested.

The corpses seemed to have only just realized what Charles Dickens was doing and slowly started to shamble their way towards him.

"I hope, oh Lord, I hope that his theory will be validated soon, if not immediately," Dickens said lightly, but his face showed his true terror.

His words were paired with the Doctor ripping the gas pipe completely from the wall. The Gelth were sucked instantly from the corpses, causing the dead bodies to fall to the ground, lifeless once more. Freya let out a breath of relief, only for the inhalation to send her into a coughing fit.

"It's working!" Charles Dickens exclaimed cheerfully. The Doctor quickly unlocked the metal door and the two of them stumbled out of the small room.

"Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels," the Doctor shouted across the room at Gwyneth.

"Liars?" Gwyneth asked. The Doctor frowned, crossing the room quickly. Freya went to follow him but had to stop to cough some more. The air was funny. No. It was the gas. The gas was what was wrong.

"Look at me, Gwyneth. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Doctor, your lady friend can't breathe," Charles Dickens said nervously, glancing over at Freya. She was still bent over, trying to steady her breathing and stop from coughing.

"I'm not leaving her!" Freya managed to choke out, taking a shaky step towards the Doctor.

"Charles, get her out," the Doctor ordered. Freya opened her mouth to argue some more but found her vision blurring. Two hands steadied her and she found herself being dragged. She could faintly hear words, but they made no sense.

"Come on, Miss, help me. Move your feet," Charles Dickens urged. They were…going up stairs? Yes. Stairs. Freya did her best to move her feet, fighting the urge to cough once more.

They collided with a wall before Freya was hit by a wall of cold air. Cold, fresh air. Freya stumbled to the ground, only to be dragged a ways from the house. She couldn't care. She was breathing. Fresh air.

Something collided with her and a loud explosion erupted, causing her eardrums to ring. Freya's eyes opened blearily to see the Doctor over her. He stood up, pulling her up by her hand. Freya's eyes shot back towards the house. It was gone.

Gwyneth was nowhere in sight.

Freya's eyes shot back to the Doctor.

"Where's Gwyneth?" Freya asked him.

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift," the Doctor told her solemnly. Freya's wide eyes filled with tears at the words. The Doctor's own expression was filled with regret as he pulled Freya to him, folding her into his arms.

"At such a cost. The poor child," Charles Dickens murmured.

"I really did try, Freya. You have to know I tried. She was already dead. Gwyneth died the moment she stepped under the arch," the Doctor told her, whispering the words into her hair.

"But she spoke to us. She helped us!" Freya protested, her words muffled by the Doctor's shirt.

"She saved the world. A servant girl. And no one will ever know," Freya said sadly. The Doctor didn't move.

And she didn't remember moving at all after that as well.

When she woke up, she was in her room on the TARDIS. Well, she assumed it was her room. It was the room she woke up in when she didn't wake up in the hospital area.

_Med-bay. _A voice provided for her. The voice didn't sound like anything in particular.

Freya sat up slowly. Yes. It did. It felt like the TARDIS.

She felt the laughter at her conclusion, proving that she was indeed right.

_You ought to get ready for an adventure. My thief is getting worried and antsy. _

Freya jumped from her bed. A thief? Someone had stolen the TARDIS? Why wasn't the TARDIS more concerned? Should she be concerned. The laughter resumed in her head.

_No. My thief. The Doctor. He stole me, long ago. Like he stole you._

The words threw Freya. He hadn't stolen her…had he? Was that what he'd done? She'd originally assumed he was going to kidnap her. But he hadn't acted like a kidnapper would. And he was taking her on adventures.

And he had saved her life.

But why was the TARDIS saying he stole _her_?

_Because he did. You're his now. You are his until he lets you go. He sees you as his._

The words worried Freya. Was she property to him? Was that what the TARDIS meant? And it must have read her thoughts. That meant Freya didn't have to look like a lunatic, talking to thin air.

But what exactly did the TARDIS mean?

_It means you should stay with him. Stay with him, until he tries to leave you. And I won't let him succeed. Stay with him. You belong to him._

Belong? Freya bit her bottom lip at the word. Belong? She entered the closet, mulling over the troubling words. Was she only a possession now? Was that what happened to her? Was that what the Doctor viewed her as?

_It will all be clear, one day, dear Freya._

**I know it was mentioned in the first chapter that the Doctor was a thief, but it's been awhile and Freya's been taking in a lot. Give her time. ;) What do you think? How do you feel about that? You should feel excited! It'll be beautiful in the next chapter! So give me a lot of reviews! The more reviews, the more likely I am to update faster! :) Otherwise it'll be about a week in between updates.**

**I hope this story stays original. That was one of my biggest worries with it, that it would morph into every other Doctor Who OC fanfiction. I hope it's shaping up to be different. And don't worry! Rose doesn't completely disappear! We do still need her (haha)!**

**Andi**


	4. Chapter 4

**So normally I wouldn't spoil all of you with another update so quickly, but I got an additional two chapters typed up this week due to a two-day impromptu break in college classes. So enjoy this! This has an original adventure in it, my own twist. ;) Let me know what you think of it!**

Chapter 4

As soon as Freya was dressed in clothes the TARDIS approved, she made her way to the console room. The Doctor was flitting about, appearing to be doing simple work to keep himself busy. When he saw her, his eyes lit up.

"Freya! You're up! I figured we could take a quick adventure to a wonderful planet I know. What do you say?" the Doctor asked her, his blue eyes full of excitement. Freya was still confused over what the TARDIS had said, but couldn't find it in herself to deny the Doctor his pleasure. She nodded, earning a, "Fantastic!" from the Doctor.

She situated herself in a chair, watching as the Doctor turned numerous dials. The TARDIS started shaking, but the shaking stopped rather quickly. The Doctor all but ran for the door, jerking it open.

"Here we are! Come on now, Freya! Look alive!" he urged. Freya slid a smile onto her face and walked over to him, glancing out at the new scenery.

"This planet is called Woman Wept. It only has one continent, and the continent looks like…well, a woman weeping. Come on! We're just in time. This place is beautiful," he told her excitedly, dragging her towards a beach. All around, the scenery was wild. Blue trees, blue grass, a light green sky. As they approached the beach, she noticed how the sand seemed to have a pink glow to it, resembling finely crushed seashells. Out at sea, a storm appeared to be brewing. Waves were rolling in, large purple waves.

The waves intensified and then all of a sudden, they stopped.

Freya's mouth dropped open. In a split second, the waves had merely froze. She took a step towards them automatically before freezing and turning to look towards the Doctor.

"Go ahead. They won't start moving again for about an hour," the Doctor told her with a grin. Freya grinned right back before taking off running across the beach.

There was no one around. No one. She stepped into the water cautiously, noting that it didn't even ripple around her feet. Her feet! She jumped back, peeling off her shoes and socks, tossing them behind her. They were already wet. She should have thought of that. Still, now barefoot, she entered the water.

The water was warm. It felt glorious, almost as good and warm as the gold particles the TARDIS surrounded her in when she slept or wandered the ship. She waded around one of the waves, swimming so that she was right under a larger wave.

That was when she noticed him.

There was a man, trapped in the wave. Eyes wide in fright, appearing like he was desperately trying to escape the storm. Freya swam towards him, plunging her hands into the wave.

"Freya?" the Doctor called.

"I'm still here!" Freya called back, her hand gripping the man's arm. The man's wide eyes got even wider at her motions. Something felt off.

The moment she jerked the man towards her, the waves unfroze. A massive wave crashed over her, filling her lungs almost instantly with a sweet water. Sugar water, as opposed to salt water. It was the man's turn to grip her, kicking towards the surface.

She was thrown onto ground, onto the sand, and there was a sudden pressure on her chest. She gasped, the water from her lungs coming up instantly.

"There. Good. Thank you," the man told her, offering a hand. Freya took it, allowing the stranger to pull her to her feet. Her eyes darted around, widening as they took in the lack of familiar features.

"Sorry. We're on the other side, from where you were. What were you doing out there? Everyone knows better than to go swimming in the morning freeze," the man lectured her, but he had a smile on his face.

"What about you?" Freya challenged. The man laughed at her words and shook his head.

"Touché. I was trying to get to the other beach before the freeze. I shoulda waited. But I'm not a waiter," the man told her.

"So what's your name? Where'd you come from?" the man asked her curiously.

"I'm Freya. I came with….oh! I need to get back!" Freya said quickly, eyes widening.

"Whoa. Calm down! We can't go back just yet. The morning freeze is very unreliable. And you sort of threw it out of wack by pulling me from it. You don't want to get stuck in it," the man told her.

"But I'm travelling with someone!" Freya protested, staring out at the waves. They were just as wild as they had been when her and the Doctor had arrived.

"Don't worry. They'll be fine. I'm Davey, by the way," he said, offering his hand. Freya took it, giving him a tentative smile. Where was the Doctor?

"Come with me. I'll show you the city. This afternoon I'll help you across the bay. The afternoon's more reliable and the storm should be cleared out by then," Davey told her. Freya hesitated, still staring out at the water.

"But what if he comes for me and I'm not here?" Freya asked. The light in Davey's eyes faded slightly and his smile wavered.

"It's a him. I see," he said almost darkly before shaking his head.

"If he comes, he'll come to town. Let's go," the man said, taking her hand before she could even protest again.

Not that she would have protested. Not with him holding her hand. She loved the contact too much to protest.

The two approached the city and Freya gasped.

It was gorgeous. Everything about the city was beautiful. The buildings sparkled in the light. The streets bustled. And everyone was…friendly with one another. Davey pulled her onwards, greeting numerous people as he did.

Everyone greeted him back, greeted her as well, even wished them a wonderful day. It made Freya feel almost important. As if she were someone people wanted to get to know.

"What do you think? Glad I made you come?" Davey asked her with a grin. Freya nodded absently, still staring around. He led her to a booth where a lady was selling some sort of necklaces.

"Would you like one?" Davey asked her. Freya stared at them for a moment before glancing up at him.

"I'll buy you one," he told her. Freya started to accept but stopped.

She was on an alien planet. Everyone looked human. Everyone acted human. But what if they weren't human? What if there was something more to buying a necklace? Could that have some significant meaning?

"What's the significance of a necklace?" Freya finally asked, still staring at him. Davey stared at her before shaking his head, smiling.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he asked her. She shook her head, only to catch sight of something akin to an airplane. She turned, glancing upward at it, watching in wonder as it glided over the city, landing somewhere in the street. The people around where the glider landed helped the person up, smiling and laughing.

It was almost surreal.

Davey led her out of town, towards a hill that overlooked the city. She stared at it, still in wonder.

"This place is beautiful," Freya said with a sigh.

"I told you it was."

The voice came from behind them. And it didn't sound happy. Freya spun around, as did Davey, eyes landing on the Doctor. He was leaning against the TARDIS, glaring at the two of them. Freya felt her throat nearly close at the intensity. It terrified her.

"I take it you're the friend," Davey said, a smile on his face. The Doctor didn't budge.

"Save it. I know what you're trying to do. And you're not doing it. Freya, let's go," the Doctor ordered.

Freya was confused. What was Davey trying to do? He was only showing her the city….wasn't he? Or was that some other sort of alien thing she didn't know about. She pulled her hand from Davey and started walking towards the Doctor. Only for Davey to run up and intercept her.

"You don't have to listen to him. You don't have to go with him. You can stay here, with me. You said it yourself. You love it here. You love everything about here. Why would you want to leave with him? He doesn't treat you like you should be treated. Hell, I don't think he even cares about you," Davey said, glaring over his shoulder at the Doctor.

"It's beautiful here. But I don't know anything about here. I belong on my planet," Freya told him, trying to step around him. But Davey moved to cut her off again. He pulled a necklace out of his pocket.

"You can stay here. You can take this, and stay here," Davey told her, holding it out to her. Freya took a step back, making sure she didn't touch the necklace.

"What does taking the necklace mean?" Freya asked him, staring at it.

"It means you are taken, in a sense. It serves as an engagement necklace, or a necklace for a slave," the Doctor answered coldly behind her.

"But you'd be happy here!" Davey tried explaining to her. Freya glanced back at the Doctor, back at the TARDIS. The TARDIS's words drifted back to her.

She was the Doctor's possession.

She sidestepped Davey once more and walked around him.

"I don't understand! He's treating you worse than anyone here would treat you!" Davey shouted at her. Freya stopped and turned to face him.

"It doesn't really matter. I belong to him, in a sense. And he wasn't the one who would have tricked me," Freya told Davey softly.

"Necklace?" the Doctor asked, holding a necklace to Freya. She glanced at him, surprised. Him, not really looking at the necklace.

"So you'd take one from him but not me?" Davey asked her, confused.

"I already said. I practically belong to him," Freya told the man, touching the necklace the Doctor offered her. It felt…oddly familiar. He moved it from her grip and placed it around her neck, latching it securely before sliding his hand in hers.

She didn't even look back.

As soon as the TARDIS had left the planet, the Doctor turned to her, eyes curious.

"Why did you say you belong to me?" the Doctor asked her.

"The TARDIS said I did," Freya told him, fingering the necklace.

"Don't worry about the necklace. It only holds that meaning on a handful of planets. Earth's not one of them," the Doctor told her, almost sounding awkward.

"How did the TARDIS tell you?" the Doctor asked her once more.

"I talk to her sometimes. And she talks to me," Freya explained. She considered mentioning the gold particles but didn't. Something in her told her that that wasn't the smartest of ideas.

"I thought you said the waves would stay frozen for an hour," Frey asked him.

"Yeah, well, I got the time of day off. And you tried pulling something out of the water, which automatically unfreezes things," the Doctor told her, giving her a light reprimand but it was nothing like when they'd been outside the TARDIS. His expression morphed into one of confusion as he stared at Freya.

"Why didn't you stay? I don't know if I've ever seen you that happy. You very well could have stayed," the Doctor stated. Freya didn't know how to answer. She really didn't.

So she didn't. She turned away from him, sitting in the chair. Her knees automatically came up in the chair and she wrapped her arms firmly around them.

"How did you know not to take the necklace?" the Doctor finally asked as the TARDIS began shaking. It stopped fairly soon, but Freya could sense they hadn't landed. They were in orbit.

"It hit me that it was an alien planet and while they looked human, they probably had different traditions. And then he sidestepped my question about it," Freya said softly. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment.

"Right. Well, is there anywhere you want to go next?" the Doctor asked her quickly, trying to shake off the silence.

"I want to see Rose," Freya said. She could talk to Rose about what had happened. Rose would understand. No one else would, except the Doctor. And she couldn't very well talk to the Doctor about, well, himself.

"Oh. Very well. All things come to an end," the Doctor muttered. Freya's head whipped around, her hair flying around her.

"What?" Freya asked him. He stopped, staring at her.

"You said you wanted to go home," the Doctor stated, appearing puzzled at her confusion.

"No. I wanted to see Rose. I just…I wanted to talk to someone," Freya admitted.

"But I'm someone!" the Doctor protested.

"You're a man. Er, you're sort of a man. I want to talk to another girl. About girly things," Freya tried. Her explanation worked as the Doctor all but threw himself at the controls, hitting buttons incredibly fast.

"Yes yes! Girl talk. Let's get you back right now then!" the Doctor rushed the words, almost to the point of sounding alarmed at the possibility of hearing girl talk and, heaven forbid, being forced to participate in it. The sight almost made Freya giggle. It did make the TARDIS laugh.

"Right! Here we are. London, Powell Estate. It's been twelve hours since we left Rose here. Go on, go do your girl talk!" the Doctor said, ushering her towards the door. He stopped halfway there, noting her appearance.

"Maybe you should change first?" he questioned. Freya glanced down. Her clothes were still damp from the ocean she'd been in, and she was missing shoes altogether. Her hair was surely a mess. And the open door let in a breeze that sent a shiver down her spine.

"I won't be gone long," Freya admitted. The Doctor stared at her for a moment before shrugging off his jacket.

"I swear I just need to keep you one of these in here," he grumbled. He pulled out what looked like a wallet and his sonic screwdriver before offering the jacket to her. Freya slid it on, wrapping it around herself. She hoped it covered up her mussed up clothes. She started out the door but hesitated.

"You won't leave me here, will you?" Freya asked him quietly. He looked up at her, almost surprised she'd asked such a thing. The surprise melted away into a grin as he shook his head.

"Nah. I'll just wait outside the TARDIS for ya," he told her, following her to the door. Freya gave him a grateful smile before it disappeared.

"Where exactly does Rose live?"

She ran up the stairs, excited. It'd felt like so long since she'd seen Rose last. It had been so long. Nearly a lifetime, for her. She passed by a few posters hung next to the stairs, not sparing them a second glance. When Freya reached Rose's apartment, she knocked on the door before tucking her hands into the Doctor's pockets.

The door opened to reveal a shocked Rose.

"Freya?" Rose gasped, staring at her.

"Hey. I know we just dropped you off, but is there any way we can talk?" Freya asked the girl. Rose threw herself into Freya's arms, hugging her tightly as if her life depended on it. Rose pulled her inside quickly, door still hanging open.

Freya's eyes landed on a stack of missing posters.

Missing posters of her.

And then Marie walked in from the kitchen.

Her own eyes were wide at the sight of Freya. Rose pulled back as Marie stepped forward.

The Doctor burst into the room, eyes wide. When they landed on Freya, he looked apologetic.

"It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year. Sorry," the Doctor apologized.

The police had been called. Freya had a blanket wrapped around her as well as the Doctor's jacket now and was forced onto the couch in between Rose and Marie. It looked like Rose and Marie had become fast friends in the year she'd been gone. Jackie, who everyone introduced as Rose's mother, had called the police instantly. And two policemen were there. One blocking the door. The other who continuously glanced between Freya and the Doctor.

"What are you waiting for? Arrest him. Arrest him for kidnapping," Marie ordered, glaring at the Doctor.

"Oi! I didn't kidnap anyone!" the Doctor said indignantly.

"Not only did he kidnap her, look at the state she came back in! She looks like she had to fight to get away from him," Marie pointed out.

"I told you to change," the Doctor pointed out, only causing Freya to lower her head even more.

"I wasn't kidnapped. I was travelling," Freya murmured.

"For a year? Without your passport? You disappeared one day, saying you were going on vacation with a strange man. Three weeks later, I get a text saying you're alright. And then nothing for a year? Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" Marie shouted, staring at Freya.

"Actually, it's my fault. I sort of er, employed Freya as my companion," the Doctor said with an almost sheepish smile. The two policemen looked at him sharply.

"There's something else to add to the list. Arrest him for exploitation!" Marie shouted. The Doctor's face lost all color.

"When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?" the first policeman asked him seriously.

"No!" the Doctor shouted, obviously getting frustrated by this point.

And the policemen didn't look convinced.

"I'm sorry. I have to tell them," Freya said, glancing up at the Doctor. He looked startled at her words, almost confused.

"Tell us what?" the policeman at the door asked sharply. Freya glanced at the Doctor for a moment, hoping he would go with what she said. Otherwise, she knew Marie would have him arrested.

Freya held the necklace up so they could see it.

"He and I, we're sort of engaged. In one of the places we visited, it was tradition to offer necklaces instead of rings for engagement. And we got engaged," Freya lied. Everyone in the room, including the Doctor, stared at her, wide-eyed.

"So he's not your kidnapper. He's your fiancé," the first policeman asked flatly. Freya swallowed and nodded.

"And you're sure you're not his prisoner?" the second questioned her. Freya shook her head.

"Of course not. I'm with him because I want to be," Freya said immediately.

"Yes. Engaged. See? Not a kidnapper," the Doctor added on quickly. But no one seemed overly convinced.

"How old are you? Forty? Forty-five? What, did you find her on the internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?" Jackie asked, surprising Freya. Why was she defending Freya? Freya had never met the woman before.

Rose looked slightly uncomfortable at the words, but Marie nodded right along.

The Doctor looked downright offended at her words.

"I am a Doctor," he told her simply. Jackie had leapt from her seat and marched right up to the Doctor.

"Prove it. Stitch this, mate!" she yelled as she punched him in the face.

A while later, the police had finally left. The Doctor was in the kitchen, allowing Freya some time with the group of people who'd been so worried about her.

"Why didn't you call? You've missed so much," Marie pointed out. Jackie was in the kitchen, making tea and glaring at the Doctor the whole time.

"I meant to. We've had really poor reception," Freya lied.

"Does he know?" Marie asked, glancing behind her at the Doctor. Freya's whole heart sank at her words.

"Does he know what?" Rose asked, glancing between the two girls in confusion. Marie ignored her.

"Does he know what you need? Does he know you can't stand to sleep alone? Does he know that you're always cold unless you're near someone? Does he know about the nightmares?" Marie asked her. Rose looked intrigued at Marie's words.

"He knows enough. We're only recently engaged," Freya skitted around the truth.

"But you're sleeping together. I can tell. You don't have dark circles under your eyes. That means you're at least sharing a bed with him," Marie pointed out. Freya didn't bother to correct her. She merely stared into the kitchen at the Doctor.

"Him and me, we need to go talk. We weren't going to announce to anyone we were engaged for awhile. It was an abrupt engagement," Freya lied, sidestepping the two of them.

"You aren't going to go running off again, are you?" Marie asked hesitantly. Freya hesitated as well before shaking her head.

"Not yet. We just need to talk," Freya told her friend softly.

"Go to the roof then," Rose recommended. Freya smiled at her and grabbed the Doctor's arm, dragging him from the kitchen.

"Are we leaving?" the Doctor asked, a bit too excited for Freya's taste. She shook her head.

"We're talking. Away from them," Freya corrected as they took the stairs up to the roof. As soon as they made it to the top, Freya all but collapsed. The Doctor caught her, steadying her.

"Sorry," Freya murmured as she tried straightening herself out.

"No worries. I can run some tests later on the TARDIS to see why you keep fainting" the Doctor offered.

"No. I'm sorry for all of this," Freya corrected him as he helped her sit down on top of a block. He leaned against the block, staring outwards.

"I've missed a year. A whole year," Freya said in wonder.

"It wasn't too good of a year. Only middling," the Doctor informed her.

Freya responded by burying her head in her arms.

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?" the Doctor asked her. Freya lifted her head quickly, staring at him. He was staring out at London, not her.

"I…no. You still haven't figured out what's going on with me," Freya pointed out.

"Well, they're not coming with us. Rose can, but not her mother. And not your other friend," the Doctor said quickly.

"No. She wouldn't understand," Freya said.

"I don't do families. Too domestic," the Doctor stated, rubbing his cheek.

"I can't believe Rose's mother hit you. She doesn't even know me!" Freya exclaimed, feeling herself lighten at the thought.

"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother," the Doctor groaned.

"Nine hundred years?" Freya asked, confused. The Doctor nodded.

"That's my age," he informed her. Freya stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"They were right. It's one hell of an age gap," Freya muttered. She then shook her head.

"I couldn't talk to people before. Now look at me. Anything I say would make no sense to anyone else. Aliens, spaceships, the past? They'd lock me up. I'm the only person on planet Earth, save Rose, who knows they exist," Freya said, staring out at London in frustration.

A loud horn sounded in the air, causing Freya and the Doctor's attention to be jerked towards the sky. Freya gasped at the sight of a spaceship, one that looked like a legitimate science fiction spaceship, flew overhead.

Well, more like crashed overhead. Black smoke was rolling from it, and Freya doubted that was normal. The spaceship slammed into Big Ben before crashing into the river.

"You were saying?" the Doctor asked her, bemused. He leapt to his feet, grabbing her hand as he did. He was running before her feet were even flat on the ground.

"Where are we going?" Freya asked him as they bolted down the stairs.

"To see what's going on, of course!" the Doctor shouted gleefully as he pulled her into the street, artfully dodging cars. As they approached the area around the river, army vehicles had blocked everything off.

"It's blocked off." The Doctor sounded slightly disappointed at the words but his eyes still held some sort of excitement. Contagious excitement. The man was literally bouncing up and down in place.

"We're probably miles from the centre. The city must be gridlocked. The whole of London must be closing down," Freya guessed. The Doctor nodded gleefully.

"I know. I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!" the Doctor cheered. Freya stared at him in disbelief.

"Did you know this was going to happen?" she questioned him.

"Nope!" he said happily, shaking his head.

"Do you recognize the ship?" Freya tried again.

"Nope!" the Doctor repeated, still cheerfully. Freya stared blankly at him for a moment.

"Is there anything you do know?" she challenged him.

"Nope! Hey!" he said suddenly, turning to her when he realized he'd been tricked. His expression brought a real smile to Freya's lips.

"I'll ignore that last comment. This is what I travel for, Freya. To see history happening right in front of us," the Doctor explained. Freya opened her mouth but closed it once again.

"We can't get closer. Because they'll notice the TARDIS," Freya stated, almost disappointed at the conclusion. The Doctor nodded.

"Right you are. We don't want to give them two spaceships," the Doctor said with a smile.

"We could always do what everyone else does? Watch it on the telly," Freya suggested. The Doctor looked momentarily appalled before nodding.

Back at the Tyler flat, people were already gathering. The Doctor immediately sat himself down directly in front of the telly, while Freya was holed up in the kitchen with Marie and Rose.

"I just…I really don't understand. Any of this. Him. We missed a year of your life," Marie said, tears in her eyes. Freya glanced at Rose, wondering how much she could say.

"It's only been a few days for me," Freya finally admitted.

"A few days? Has he kept you tied up, unconscious?" Marie asked sharply.

"I was unconscious for the first few weeks. Illness related, not his fault. But…Marie, he has this, this spaceship. It travels through time and space," Freya finally said. Rose smiled at her reassuringly.

Marie simply laughed.

"A spaceship? He must've hit your head really hard!" Marie said with a laugh.

"And what's this about becoming engaged?" Rose teased. Freya blushed and pulled out the necklace. She couldn't tell them that was a ruse. Then again, if Marie really paid attention, she'd be able to call it out.

"But that's your necklace," Marie protested.

Her words made Freya's blood run cold.

"No it's not. He just bought it for me. See? Here's my necklace," Freya said, pulling her necklace from the inside of her shirt. But Marie and Rose merely compared the two.

"The one he gave you is doubled. Unwrap it and his'll be the same length," Marie pointed out.

"The one he gave you has all sorts of little charms, designs, wrapped around the two strands of the string. If those were gone, it would be the same," Rose added, staring at the two.

"It even has the same locket. You didn't notice?" Marie asked in surprise. Freya shook her head quickly, her head spinning from the details.

Did that mean the Doctor was the one who gave her the necklace? He couldn't be. She distinctively remembered brown eyes.

But he had to have been. He gave her her necklace.

"No. I was in the middle of being proposed to by a different guy," Freya admitted absently.

"So the Doctor proposed to keep a different guy away? That's not very romantic," Marie stated with a frown. Freya shook her head.

"It was the most beautiful view. And I didn't know the other person. They were trying to trick me," Freya explained.

"Was it on another planet?" Rose asked her. Freya nodded without thinking, only to get a scoff from Marie.

"Don't tell me you believe her," Marie turned to Rose. Rose nodded slowly.

"I do. Because before they dropped me off last year, they took me with them. To an observation deck, where I watched the Earth explode in the year 5 billion," Rose explained. Marie stared incredulously at the two of them before shaking her head.

"You two are crazy," she said before turning and stalking off. Freya sighed and made her way into the living room. She passed Jackie in the process, who pressed a hot cup of tea into her hands.

"The only reason I'm putting up with that rude man is you. I've heard so much about you from the two of them, ever since you swanned off last year with him," Jackie stated, glaring at the Doctor.

"He's not that bad," Freya told the woman, offering up a reassuring smile. When she turned to the Doctor, he was scooping a child up. The channel was on some cooking channel, something the Doctor didn't look overly pleased about. He grabbed the remote from the child and switched the channel back.

He dropped the child back on the ground, only for him to wander right in front of the telly. Freya scooped the child up, placing him on her hip as she sat down on the armrest of the chair the Doctor was sitting in.

She only barely noticed the Doctor getting to his feet and making his way out of the flat. When she did realize it, she quickly sat the child down and ran out after him.

"Where are you going?" Freya asked just as he was about to take off down the stairs. He froze, turning around to face her.

"Nowhere. It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all," he said with a smile plastered to his face. Freya's heart sank.

"You're leaving," she said plainly. Something shifted in the Doctor's expression.

"I'm not leaving. I told you. I'm just on a wander," he repeated, but his words had even less of an impact this time. Freya's hand gripped her arm tightly as she nodded and turned around.

Footsteps pounded behind her and he was suddenly there, right in front of her, gripping her shoulders.

"I'm just wandering. I'm not leaving you here. I want to walk around, get a feel for what's going on. I think this might be mankind's first official contact with an alien race. I won't just leave you here," the Doctor told her. Freya nodded, still not believing him.

The Doctor pulled out a key on a long chain, handing it to her.

"Tell you what. TARDIS key. It's about time you had one. Have another necklace. I'll see you later," he promised, pressing it into her hand.

And then he was gone.

Freya wandered back into the house slowly, ignoring the feeling of unease that was settling in her stomach.

She slowly made her way back into the flat, ignoring the loudness around her.

Because once again, she felt empty.

"You know, you shouldn't let one guy affect you so much," Jackie observed. Freya jumped, turning to stare at the woman in confusion. She nodded towards the door.

"That Doctor bloke. He's not the entire world. Just because one person doesn't want to stay with you doesn't mean no one will," Jackie observed.

"Mum!" Rose glared, nudging her mother. She gave Freya an apologetic look.

"Mum was listening at the door," Rose admitted.

"So were you!" Jackie retorted back, making Rose rouge slightly as well.

"He isn't going to leave you. He gave you a key to his….whatsit. His vehicle. Guys don't give away keys to their vehicles and then just vamoose," Marie added.

"Were you all listening at the door?" Freya asked, staring at the three of them in disbelief.

"We had to make sure you weren't going to run off again," Marie stated, as if it were the most obvious statement in the world.

"Yeah. Granted, it made the three of us meet and become friends, but still," Rose stated.

Before anyone else could utter a word, there was an impatient knock on the door. They didn't even have a chance to open it before it was flung open. Two boys, er, men, were standing in the door, both with their mouths hanging open as they stared at Freya. She shifted uncomfortably. The one, she recognized, was the bloke that had been with Rose when she first met Rose. Her boyfriend, Freya thought. The other she'd never seen before.

"Masen. We were going to call you," Marie said weakly.

"Going to call us?" Rose's boyfriend asked in disbelief.

"Freya, this is Mickey, my boyfriend, and Masen, Marie's boyfriend. They're brothers…er, sort of brothers. Adopted brothers?" Rose asked, staring imploringly at Marie. Freya nodded. They had to be adopted because, well, their skin tones didn't exactly match. In fact, Masen looked like he had an unpleasant sunburn across his nose, making him look quite the opposite of Mickey.

"I'm assuming this is the ever-absent Freya," Masen spat, glaring at her. Freya took a step back, alarmed at the degree of hatred rolling off of him towards her.

"Masen, that'll be quite enough. I won't stand for that kind of talk in my house," Jackie threatened.

"Someone owes the boys an apology," someone called from the couch.

"They thought you were dead! And they thought we did it!" Mickey told Freya. Freya glanced at Rose, who refused to meet her eyes.

"Why did they think you did it? I only met you once," Freya said softly.

"Exactly! The last time you were seen, it was with me and Rose. And the next day, Masen met Marie, just about the time Rose contacted her. The police sure saw the coincidence. They took us in for questioning. Three times!" Mickey yelled. Freya winced back at the ferocity of his words.

"That's enough. No harm was done. She's alive. And you're not in jail," Jackie told them quite firmly.

"Where have you been? Off with the Doctor?" Mickey asked scathingly.

"Mickey!" Rose said harshly, glaring at her boyfriend.

"Was that the bloke we just saw leave?" Masen asked his brother. Mickey nodded.

"He left you. Left you here, all alone. You're stuck here now. His box thing is gone," Mickey told her.

Freya didn't wait to hear any other words. She took off running past the two boys, down the stairs.

But they were right. When she reached the ground, the police box was gone.

She bit back a cry, held back her tears. He said he wasn't going to leave her. Was this him lying?

"He'll come back," Rose said, placing her hand on Freya's shoulder.

"He's just a bloke," Jackie tried, earning a glare from Rose.

"Mum, he's more than just some bloke. And even more so to her," Rose corrected her mother.

"Who is this guy?" Marie interrupted.

A sound whirled through the air. Freya's head jerked up, eyes wide.

The TARDIS was materializing.

"How'd you do that?" Marie asked her, flabbergasted. Jackie stared at it before turning and all but running back to her flat. Rose shot Freya an apologetic look before following her mother.

"Mum! Don't freak out!" Rose called as she chased her mother up the stairs.

The moment the TARDIS had fully materialized, Freya pushed the doors open. She hadn't expected them to open, figuring she'd need to pull out her key. Surprisingly enough, they did open. She made her way in, noting how the Doctor was flitting around.

"All right, so I lied. I went and had a look. But the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben? Come on. So I thought, 'let's go and have a look'," the Doctor said, not even glancing up. Freya slowly made her way over to him.

"My friend's here. And her boyfriend. And Rose's boyfriend," Freya said, biting her lip. The Doctor looked up and sighed, rolling his eyes at the sight of the three strangers.

"Oh, that's just what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic!" the Doctor warned her. Mickey stepped forward, not to be deterred.

"You ruined my life, Doctor. Both of our lives. They thought she was dead. We were murder suspects because of you," Mickey said, gesturing to his brother as he spoke.

The Doctor ignored them, turning to Freya.

"You see what I mean? Domestic," he said scornfully.

"I bet you don't even remember my name. And you didn't think to ask their names. You ruined their lives as well," Mickey told the Doctor angrily.

"Ricky," the Doctor said, not even bothering to look up.

"It's Mickey!" Mickey said angrily.

"No, it's Ricky," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes at Freya. He was trying to make her laugh. She could tell. She cracked him a smile, so he wouldn't think his efforts were for nothing.

"I think I know my own name," Mickey scoffed. The Doctor spun on him, all traces of amusement gone.

"You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?" he taunted Mickey. Marie, who had been growing paler throughout the entire time, darted out of the TARDIS. Masen chased her instantly. Freya considered running after her, but didn't dare.

She didn't want to be left again.

"Aren't you going to go after her? Your friend?" Mickey asked Freya, staring intently at her. Freya shook her head, placing her hands on the TARDIS console. It was warm under her fingertips. Beautifully warm.

"I'm where I should be," Freya told him. Mickey shook his head.

"You should be with your friend. Instead she's been with my brother the last year," Mickey pointed out.

"Oi! That bloke was your brother?" the Doctor asked, instantly perking up.

"What of it?" Mickey asked guardedly.

"Different dads?" the Doctor asked innocently. Mickey's glare intensified.

"Different families," Mickey retorted sharply.

Freya moved towards the screen the Doctor had been examining before being interrupted.

"So that was a real spaceship," Freya mused, hoping to pull the boys' attention from each other. It was almost unbearable listening to the two of them go at it.

"Yep," the Doctor agreed.

"Is it an invasion then? Where are the aliens, if that was a hoax?" Freya asked him, feeling unease settling in the pit of her stomach.

"Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert," Mickey pointed out, more fascinated with what was going on rather than the argument him and the Doctor had just been having.

"Good points, both of ya! So, what're they up to?" he asked. This time, it was more of a rhetorical question. He turned from them before grabbing his sonic screwdriver and dropping to the ground, lifting a grate out of his way before climbing into the TARDIS.

"So, what're you doing down there?" Mickey asked, looking quite interested. Freya sat down next to the grating, eyes examining the area he was working in. There were so many cords, wires, blinking lights.

It was hard to imagine that this was part of the TARDIS, the living TARDIS that talked to her. Freya heard a hum of agreement in her mind.

"Ricky," the Doctor began, only to be cut off.

"Mickey," Mickey retorted, becoming instantly irritated.

"Ricky. If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?" the Doctor asked him, giving him a very condescending stare. Freya reached down, behind the Doctor, and let her fingers brush against a wire. The wire hummed just as the console did under her fingers.

So it was all part of the TARDIS, really and truly.

She pulled her hand back just as Mickey was answering.

"I suppose not," Mickey hedged.

"Well, shut it then," the Doctor told him with a smug smile.

"Some friend you've got," Mickey grumbled at Freya, who could only give him the tiniest smile. Because the Doctor was some friend. The best friend. For her, anyway.

"He's winding you up," Freya assumed. Mickey stared at her for a moment, stared at her in a way that left her dying to break eye contact with him.

"I watched for you. I know I barely know you, but I did. So did Rose. We looked on every street corner, waiting for you. We couldn't even tell Marie or Masen what we were looking for. But we kept looking for you," Mickey told her. His words were almost desperate, as if he were dying for her to understand it.

"I…I didn't know you cared. Any of you cared," Freya murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It was quickly becoming a bad habit, she realized.

"We did. We do. And we really wish you'd stay," Mickey told her earnestly. Freya didn't want to think of staying.

Because she fit in better in the TARDIS.

If she stayed, she'd be the odd person out.

"Are you still dating Rose?" Freya asked him. Mickey nodded, letting a tiny laugh escape.

"Yeah. Mainly because everyone thinks I murdered you and no one would even give me a second glance," Mickey said, his tone slightly joking.

"Yeah," Freya murmured, guilt filling her.

"Are you going to stay this time? Will you stay?" Mickey questioned her.

The Doctor leapt up from the grate, breaking off their eye contact. Freya quickly got to her feet as well.

"Got it! Ha ha! Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go. Hold on. Come on!" the Doctor urged as he examined the screen that had before held just an image of the spaceship.

"That's the spaceship on its way to Earth, see? Except – hold on. See? The spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed," the Doctor said, leaning closer to the screen.

"What does that mean?" Freya asked, feeling the excitement rolling off of the Doctor.

"It means it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived. They've been here awhile. The question is, what have they been doing?"

**IMPORTANT! : Okay, so I have a very serious question for all of you. I write ahead when I write, and I have a chapter that will be Rated M. As of right now, I haven't decided whether it will be rated M for the themes and what is implied or if I will actually include it in the chapter. It is a very important part of the story, so I can't just ditch the entire section or let it hover in the air. What do you guys think? As the readers, I value what you think. If you'd rather not have a sex scene in the story, please let me know! If you would, let me know as well. I want to get a feel as to what my readers want before I write it. **

**(As a side note, if everyone does want the sex scene, I still make no promises. It may end up not fitting just right. I won't know til I get there, but I wanted an honest opinion from you guys before I started it. And I make no promises as to who the sex scene involves. Not gonna give spoilers away. ;) )**

**Anyways! What did you guys think? Did you like it? Was it choppy? I always viewed Jackie and Rose as the kind of people who would adopt others into their family, especially if they knew no one else really cared about that person. And I don't like how there are two of my characters now hanging with Rose and Jackie and Mickey, but it was neccessary. I promise it won't happen too much. :)**

**Review? :)**

**Andi**


	5. World War Three

**This chapter's a bit longer; I doubt anyone will protest. :) Posting it earlier than I'd expected because of the amount of reviews I got. I really appreciate everyone who's reviewed!**

Chapter 5: World War Three

As the Doctor was doing….something technical, Freya was stuck watching Mickey channel-hop.

"How many channels do you get?" Mickey asked curiously. Freya rolled her eyes, thinking of how that was the last question he should be asking at the moment. The Doctor's eyes met hers and they rolled as well.

"All the basic packages," the Doctor told him, eyes staying on Freya.

"You get sports channels?" Mickey asked in surprise.

"Yes, I get the football. Hold on, I know that lot!" the Doctor said, pointing at the screen.

" ' It is looking likely that the Government's bringing in alien specialists – those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space,'" the woman on the screen was saying. The Doctor nodded along with her words.

"UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people," the Doctor said, looking almost nostalgic.

"How do you know them? Have they studied you before?" Freya asked, trying to connect the dots she was being presented with. The Doctor grinned at her.

"Nah. No one studies me," he boasted.

"He knows cause he's worked for them. Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead," Mickey said scathingly, sending Freya an imploring look.

"In my case, if he hadn't shown up, I would have been one of the dead. And it had nothing to do with him. It was all me that caused my almost death," Freya retorted angrily. Mickey's eyes widened at her words.

She hadn't told them that.

Freya turned away, back to the Doctor.

"If you know them, why don't you go and help?" Freya asked him curiously. He shook his head, although she could tell he was still considering it.

"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover. And, er…I'd better keep the TARDIS out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car. You can do some driving," the Doctor said, not really giving Mickey the change to say no.

"Where to?" Mickey asked. It was as if he was forgetting everything that had happened already. And forgetting that the Doctor still wasn't calling him by the right name.

"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship," the Doctor said almost excitedly. He grabbed Freya's hand and pulled her out of the TARDIS, right into a bright light.

Freya shielded her eyes as voices started shouting at them.

"Do not move. Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads," the voices droned. Mickey took off running away from them. Freya had to admit that that plan sounded golden. But the Doctor didn't move. Freya turned to him, noticing his wide smile.

Marie and Rose came running down the stairs, Jackie and Masen close behind them.

"Freya!" Marie shouted as a soldier grabbed her. Another on grabbed Rose.

"Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest," the soldiers shouted. The Doctor gleefully raised his hands, causing one of Freya's to go up automatically. She raised her free hand as well.

"Take me to your leader!" the Doctor shouted happily. The soldiers immediately closed in on them, at least three soldiers grabbing Freya by the shoulders. They pushed the two of them towards a car and into the back of the car before shutting the door.

Even as someone got in the front seat, Freya could see that there were soldiers still standing by both doors, making sure they didn't try to run for it.

"Don't they usually handcuff people when they get arrested?" Freya asked as soon as the car started moving.

"We're not being arrested. We're being escorted," the Doctor informed her with a grin.

"Where to?" Freya asked, eyes wide. The Doctor's grin only grew into a full blown smile.

"Where'd you think? Downing Street," he said gleefully. Freya's jaw dropped at his words.

"10 Downing Street?" Freya asked for clarification. He nodded.

"That's the one," he told her. Freya could only shake her head.

"Why are they taking us to Downing Street?" Freya questioned him.

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years, I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been noticed," the Doctor said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"So they need you?" Freya asked, scrunching up her nose at the thought. She figured they'd want him for examination, not for help. Especially with all the alien drama at the moment.

"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?" he asked expectantly. Freya couldn't help but smile.

"Patrick Moore?" she answered teasingly, earning an indignant glare.

"Oi! Apart from him!" the Doctor demanded. Freya could only shake her head at his antics.

"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who's the Prime minister now?" the Doctor asked her curiously. Freya could only shrug helplessly.

"How should I know? I've been gone a year."

The car coasted to a stop and the Doctor opened the door, immediately grinning and waving at the cameras. Freya's eyes widened and she quickly ducked behind the cameras, hoping they wouldn't catch her. The last thing she needed was for the world to see she was at 10 Downing Street with an alien expert. The alien expert.

The Doctor ignored her behavior as they made their way inside the building. A man was calling people to order as they entered.

"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times," the man called out. He approached the Doctor and handed him an ID card, which the Doctor promptly clipped to his leather jacket.

"Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance," he told the Doctor, sounding so far from sorry that it even irritated Freya.

"I don't go anywhere without her," the Doctor said simply, crossing his arms. The man squirmed slightly under his eyes but didn't back down.

"You're the code nine, not her. I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? She'll have to stay outside," the man told the Doctor. Freya tightened her grip on the Doctor before loosening it. She let go of him, causing him to turn to her in confusion.

"It's all right. You go. You'll be back," Freya said, although the second phrase was more to herself than to him.

"Of course I'll be back. Are you sure?" the Doctor asked her, slightly concerned. Freya plastered a smile to her face and nodded.

"I'm far too clingy. Go save the Earth," Freya told him, adding a teasing lilt to her voice. The Doctor looked like he knew she was lying but didn't call her out on it. For that she was thankful. She was dreadful at lying.

"Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?" a woman asked as she approached the two of them.

"Sure," the Doctor told her cheerfully.

"Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?" the man asked the woman crossly.

"I just need a word in private," the woman begged the Doctor, but the Doctor didn't quite seem to hear her. Instead, he made his way into the room, but not before giving Freya's hand a quick squeeze.

"You haven't got the clearance," the man argued with the woman. He then turned to Freya, looking slightly nicer.

"I'm going to have to leave you with security," he told her. He seemed to get that she wasn't as strong as the Doctor. His whole tone seemed to be as if he were talking to a scared child. Freya couldn't blame him. She felt like a scared child.

"It's all right. I'll look after her. Let me of some use," the woman said quickly, grabbing Freya's arm. Freya relaxed slightly at the touch.

"Walk with me. Just keep walking," the woman murmured. Her words slightly alarmed Freya, but she sensed some sort of almost hysteria in the woman. And it wasn't like she had anywhere else to be.

"That's right. Don't look round. Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North. This friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?" the woman asked Freya anxiously. Freya hesitated, feeling as if it would be right to talk to her but not knowing for sure.

"Why do you want to know?" Freya asked levelly. They had left the sight of anyone else, standing in the shadows of the stairs.

And Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North, burst into tears. Freya helplessly pulled the older lady into a hug, waiting for her to calm down. Once she had, she led Harriet away from the rest of the people. They'd only managed to get upstairs when Harriet was able to take over.

She led Freya to a room with a long table and many chairs. The cabinet room, Freya realized. Harriet glanced around to make sure no one was around before opening up her purse and pulling out a…a skin. Freya felt sick.

"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!" Harriet choked. Freya took her hands and steadied them. The contact helped sooth her as well. It gave her the strength she needed. She didn't dare look at the suit.

"It's all right. I believe you. It's…it's alien. They must have some serious technology behind this," Freya murmured, forcing herself to glance down at the body. It looked as if someone had skinned a human and used it as some sort of costume.

The though made Freya's stomach turn but she forced the feeling down.

"Maybe they have something hidden in here. The technology. Or a secret plan. I don't know," Freya said, running a shaky hand through her hair before she started pulling open drawers. She made her way to the wardrobe-like cupboard and pulls it open.

A body lurched out at her, knocking her to the ground. Freya's eyes widened in horror as she struggled to get the body off of her. Harriet merely jumped back, terrified.

"Get him off of me!" Freya cried, unable to move the body off of her, the weight pinning her down.

"Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander…oh my god. That's the prime minister," the man from downstairs gasped as he stared at the body on top of Freya.

"Please, get him off of me," Freya begged.

"That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!" the man continued, ignoring Freya. Freya bit back the tears of panic that threatened to fall.

"And who told you that?" a new voice asked. The man and Harriet turned to face the newcomer. Freya closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, hoping that maybe they wouldn't notice her. Because no one was helping her get up. And the voice sounded quite ominous.

"I did," the voice continued. Freya could almost see flashing lights behind her closed eyelids and forced her breathing to calm down even more.

Harriet Jones screamed, and Freya could hear someone else moving around. Something….large. It was terrifying. She kept her eyes closed, hoping, praying, it would ignore her.

She heard a gurgling noise near her, very near her, and then there was the sound of….electricity? She couldn't be sure. But she didn't move.

It sounded like someone in high heels took off running out of the room. Harriet Jones. A few moments later, something else bound after and there was a thud on the ground. Freya's eyes flew open to meet the unstaring eyes of the man who'd told her she couldn't go into the meeting with the Doctor. Her eyes darted around the room. From what she could see, she was alone.

Her breathing quickened as she shoved the body with as much force as she could muster. It budged, but only slightly. Freya continued shoving and wriggling herself out from under the body, swearing to herself that she'd start lifting weights, practice running, work out, anything, if she could get out of this alive.

It was those thoughts, only those thoughts, that kept her from having a panic attack.

She managed to get out from under the body just in time to hear what sounded like a screech. A screech, coming closer. Freya jumped into the wardrobe, closing it instantly behind her. She sank down behind the coats, wrapping her arms around her knees. Steadying her breathing. She could faintly hear voices in the other room but didn't dare say a word, didn't dare hope it was Harriet Jones or the Doctor. Her eyes closed tightly.

She needed to calm down. She'd seen dead bodies before. She'd seen plenty in 1869. She'd even known Mr. Sneed before he was killed. But there was a difference. Freya knew there was a difference.

Wherever the Doctor went, death seemed to follow. Death and destruction and trouble. Except in her case. In her case, he came and stopped the death. He saved her. And he would save her again. He would always save her.

Freya ignored the improbability of that statement, choosing instead to focus on it. He would save her. She was safe. She would be safe.

The words did the job. Her breathing steadied and she slowly opened her eyes. Opened her ears.

"What do you mean, you just left her in here under a dead body?" the Doctor's voice shouted. The Doctor! Freya felt a real honest smile forming on her lips.

"I was…the wardrobe was open," Harriet's voice was more muffled. Freya managed to unwrap her arms from her body. She had only just stood when the doors were thrown open and a body flung itself at her. Freya's face was buried in the Doctor's leather jacket, his arms tightly wrapped around her.

"Don't you know better than to shut yourself in a wardrobe?" the Doctor asked lightly, but Freya could sense there was something more there. His chin was resting on top of her head. The contact left her feeling so much more at peace, so much more relaxed.

"I hadn't even noticed," Freya admitted, her voice muffled in his shirt.

"What's going on?" Freya asked, not moving to pull back.

"Slitheen. They're a family of aliens here to do something with the planet. They're large green creatures that use the human bodies as a disguise," the Doctor explained, still holding her tight to him.

"That's what the skin I found was," Harriet added.

"Are you going to let go of the poor girl or are you going to smother her to death?" Harriet Jones asked the Doctor. Freya's grip on him tightened for a moment before she loosened it. He pulled back, staring down at her for a moment, almost calculating.

"You look better. Calm. How are you calm?" the Doctor asked. Freya shook her head, making sure she didn't look at the ground. She doubted her calmness would last if she saw the man's lifeless eyes met hers again.

"Can you move the bodies?" Freya asked him shakily. He nodded, immediately withdrawing from her to grab one of the bodies. Freya swayed slightly, causing Harriet Jones to steady her.

"Why are we just standing in here?" Freya asked the woman quietly.

"The room's protected. They can't get in. Something about security reinforced by steel or something," Harriet Jones explained. She reached for a glass and handed it to Freya. Freya eyed it for a moment, not sure what exactly the amber liquid was. She sniffed it, wincing at the alcoholic smell.

"Drink some. You're shaky," Harriet Jones urged. Freya hesitated before taking a tiny sip. The drink burned her throat all the way down but did succeed in making her stomach feel warm. Her stomach and throat. Harriet took the cup from her and sat it back down on the table.

The Doctor moved back over to grab the body of the man whose eyes were now closed.

"What was his name?" the Doctor asked Harriet as he laid the man's body next to the body of the prime minister in a small storage room.

"Who?" Harriet asked, letting go of Freya to move next to the Doctor.

"This one. The secretary or whatever he was called," the Doctor said, gesturing towards the body.

"I don't know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name," Harriet said, almost shocked at the realization.

"Sorry. Right, what have we got? Anything that doesn't belong?" the Doctor asked, turning to Freya. Freya shook her head.

"I couldn't find anything that stood out. I don't understand though. You said they use the people's bodies as disguises. Why didn't they use the Prime Minister's body?" Freya asked him, her eyebrows drawn together.

"He's too slim. They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans," the Doctor explained to her.

"But those creatures are huge. About eight feet tall, I'd assume. How do they fit inside?" Harriet asked.

"That's the device around their necks. Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange," the Doctor explains. He shook his head, staring at Harriet for a moment.

"Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?" the Doctor asked her. He turned to Freya, but she could only shake her head.

"Oh, hardly. Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs," Harriet said. Freya's mouth went dry.

"Dead?" Freya asked. The Doctor nodded grimly.

"The Slitheen electrocuted them," the Doctor said. Freya wanted to close her eyes, pretend it was all a dream. But it wasn't. It was real.

"Protocols? What sort of protocols?" Freya asked Harriet.

"It tells the Prime Minister what to do in case of an alien invasion," Harriet said, and Freya was sure she was paraphrasing.

"Does it have defense codes? Like, for launching bombs?" Freya asked, trying to think. These Protocols had to be pretty important.

"You're a very violent young woman. Who'd think of launching bombs at them?" Harriet asked her.

"I didn't ask to do it. But is it possible that they wanted the Protocols, so they could bomb us? What if they were trying to kill us?" Freya asked.

"Say that again," the Doctor ordered, eyes wide.

"What?" Freya asked him, eyes widening as well.

"Anything. All of it," the Doctor ordered. Freya glanced at Harriet, who shrugged.

"Well, the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN. That would be what they would need to cause some real damage. But the codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN. Is that important?" Harriet explained, then asked.

The Doctor nodded.

"Everything's important," he told them.

"If only we knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal," Harriet said more to herself than anyone else.

"But what do they want?" Freya asked him.

"Well, they're just one family, so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen World. They're out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset," the Doctor mused, trying to expel all of this thoughts.

"Like what, gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet Jones asked anxiously.

"Or the bombs," Freya pointed out, remembering how it was the mention of the bombs that set the Doctor off before.

"You're both quite good at this," the Doctor told them, earning a small smile from Harriet. Freya jumped slightly as something in her pocket vibrated. And continued vibrating.

"Sorry. That's me," Freya said, pulling the phone out. And promptly sighed.

It was her mother.

"Yes mum?" Freya asked quietly, noting that the Doctor and Harriet Jones were talking and gesturing towards her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? We saw you on the telly! Who's the stranger you're with? Where have you been for the last year? Why is that this call only comes through now when your phone hasn't worked for a year? And who the hell is that man you're with?" her mother shouted at her.

"Mum, I'm sort of busy," Freya said, not wanting to deal with hanging up on her mother. The Doctor took her phone from her and put it up to his own ear.

"Listen, miss, your daughter is currently in a life or death situation and we'd really appreciate it if you'd shunt off," the Doctor said, his tone entirely too pleasant as he hung up and handed the phone back to Freya. Freya stared at him, wide-eyed. The phone vibrated once more, causing the Doctor to groan.

"Did she really call you back?" he asked angrily. Freya glanced down and shook her head.

"It's a text message. From Marie," Freya said, opening the text instantly. The Doctor groaned.

"Tell your stupid friend we're busy," he ordered her. Freya's blood went cold at the image that came up on her phone.

"She doesn't look so stupid after all. Is that the Slitheen?" Freya asked, handing the phone to the Doctor. One look at his face told her that yes, it was a Slitheen. And it was at Jackie's flat.

Freya quickly called Marie's phone, only for Mickey to answer it.

"Hey! We're at my flat. The others are barricading the door. Where are you? What should we do? What is that thing?" Mickey asked, his words rushing together.

"Is everyone okay? Marie, Masen, Rose, Jackie, you?" Freya asked quickly. The Doctor grabbed the phone from Freya again and for a moment, she feared he was going to hang up on Mickey as well.

"Is this Rickey? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer," the Doctor ordered. The Doctor listened for a moment before glancing up at Freya, a sort of disgusted expression on his face.

"Mickey the Idiot, I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but I need you," the Doctor said, grimacing as if the words left an acrid taste in his mouth.

"Say again?" the Doctor asked, plugging the phone into the conference phone speaker.

"It's asking for the password," Mickey said.

"Buffalo. Two Fs, one L," the Doctor said, smiling at Freya.

"He's hacking into the UNIT website for us," the Doctor elaborated.

"So what's that website?" Jackie asked, obviously not having heard what the Doctor said.

"All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years," Mickey said, sounding as if he was in his element.

"They've just been keeping us in the dark," Masen finished. Freya was confused as to why Masen seemed to know something about this. Just what did Masen do for a living? Who was Masen?

"Mickey, you were born in the dark," the Doctor scoffed.

"Leave him alone. He's helping us," Freya said, hitting his shoulder lightly. It didn't do any real damage, only alerting the Doctor that her hands were shaking slightly. He gave her a confused look, causing Freya to shove her hands into her jeans pockets quickly.

"Thank you. Password again," Mickey stated.

"Just repeat it every time," the Doctor said, turning away from Freya.

"Big Ben – why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?" the Doctor asked himself.

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them," Harriet pointed out.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash land in the middle of London," the Doctor retorted sharply.

"They're aliens on Earth. They should be in hiding. And now they're using this to execute their plans. They just put the entire planet on Red Alert. Why would they do that?" Freya mused aloud, hoping her musings would be helpful to the Doctor.

"Oh listen to you! You sound nothing like yourself!" Marie said crossly into the phone.

"I'm trying to help," Freya said, feeling hurt at her only friend's words.

"Well, I've got a question, if you don't mind," Jackie interrupted.

"Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room. My daughter's new best friend disappears off the face of the Earth for a year," Jackie continued.

"Mum!" Rose shouted.

"I'm talking to him. Cause I've seen this life yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this question. Is she safe?" Jackie asked. Freya's eyes widened at her words.

"You're concerned…for me?" Freya asked, unbelieving.

"Of course we are!" Rose added.

"We all are! Is she safe?" Marie repeated Jackie's question.

"Will she always be safe? Can you promise us that?" Jackie continued. Freya glanced over at the Doctor, eyes wide. His own eyes had hardened. He glanced at Freya and it was all too obvious, the answer to that question.

She wasn't safe. And she may never be.

But she felt safe. She felt oh so safe with him. He made her feel safe.

"Well, what's the answer?" Marie asked, sounding almost scared. The Doctor didn't react, every muscle in his body seemingly frozen.

"We're in," Mickey said, instantly shifting the mood. The Doctor nodded, moving away from Freya.

"Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Clock on that," the Doctor said, leaning on the table.

"What is it?" Rose asked, her voice slightly hushed.

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying," the Doctor said, leaning even closer to the phone. It sounded like a bit of white noise to Freya with the occasional flux.

It didn't make sense. The Doctor had said, back at the observation deck, that the TARDIS was inside their heads, translating alien words into English. Her and Rose should be able to understand it. As should the Doctor. Why was it so hard to understand?

"He'll have to answer me someday," Jackie said in the background, causing Mickey to hush her.

"It's some sort of message," the Doctor finally said.

"What does it say? The TARDIS didn't translate it," Freya said. The Doctor looked surprised at her words.

"No. It didn't. Surprised you caught that. I don't know what it's saying. It's on a loop, keeps repeating,' the Doctor said. A doorbell rang in the background.

"Go and see who it is," Mickey designated to someone.

"It's three o'clock in the morning!" Rose protested.

"Well, go and tell them that!" Mickey snapped back.

"It's beaming out into space. Who's it for?" the Doctor murmured, still thinking. Then they heard a scream. Freya jumped, eyes wide.

"It's him. It's the thing, it's the Slitheen!" Jackie rambled, terrified.

"They've found us," Mickey said grimly. Freya's eyes widened.

"Mickey, I need that signal," the Doctor said firmly.

"You guys need to get to safety! Get out!" Freya shouted, terrified.

"We can't. It's by the front door," Mickey said, his voice sounding all too calm. Freya could make out someone crying. It was probably Marie. Her gut twisted. That flat had the only people out there who cared about her.

"Oh my God, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us!" Mickey said, his composure slipping.

Harriet looked just as alarmed as Freya felt.

"There's got to be some way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the expert. Think of something!" Harriet ordered the Doctor.

"I'm trying!" the Doctor shot back at her. Freya winced as the sound of the door breaking open resonated on the phone.

"That flat has every person in the world that cares about me in it," Freya whispered, terrified. The Doctor glanced at her, something flashing through his eyes that she couldn't read.

"Right. If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from. Which planet. So, judging by their basic shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!" the Doctor shouted.

"They're green. And they have that technology that compresses them," Freya restated the little she knew about them.

"Yep, narrows it down," the Doctor nodded.

"Good sense of smell. The pig technology!" Harriet added excitedly. Pig technology? Freya shook it off. It was something she'd missed.

"The type of spaceship. You know what kind it was!" Freya guessed. The Doctor nodded.

"Narrows it down," he repeated.

"It's getting in!" Mickey shouted.

"Oh! When they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it's something else. What is it? It's more like, er…" she drifted off. Freya quickly closed her eyes, trying to think. The room, when Harriet had left her, had smelt odd.

"Bad breath!" Freya finally said. Harriet nodded quickly in agreement.

"Calcium decay! Now that narrows it down!" he shouted excitedly.

"Too late!" Mickey responded in the phone.

"Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made out of living calcium. What else? What else? Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet! Raxacoricofallapatorius!" the Doctor shouted triumphantly.

"Oh great, we could write 'em a letter," Mickey muttered sarcastically. Another crash of wood was heard.

"Get into the kitchen!" the Doctor ordered. It was silent for a moment before Marie's voice wavered.

"My God, it's going to rip us apart!" Marie cried.

"Calcium weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!" the Doctor yelled triumphantly.

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet added in excitedly.

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?" the Doctor asked him.

"How should I know?" Mickey asked.

"It's your kitchen," the Doctor pointed out.

"What do we need?" Rose asked.

"Vinegar," Mickey repeated.

"Mum, get in the cupboard by the sink, middle shelf!" Rose shouted.

"Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs," Jackie was saying.

"Rose kisses this man?" the Doctor asked Freya in disbelief. Freya could only shake her head, staring at the phone. There was a loud explosion, followed by some nervous laughter.

"Hannibal?" Freya asked.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar," Harriet explained. Freya nodded, accepting the explanation. The Doctor took a swig from the glass of alcohol before handing it to Harriet who did exactly the same. She handed it to Freya. Freya took the tiniest of sips once more.

"Listen to this," Mickey said suddenly. Another voice filled the room.

"Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds," the voice said.

"What?" the Doctor asked in disbelief.

"Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction, unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear stroke at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival, because from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you, planet Earth is at war," the television voice finished solemnly.

"He's making it up. There's no weapons up there. There's no threat. He just invented it," the Doctor said, throwing himself from the table.

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked anxiously. The Doctor only gave her a look.

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out," he spat out.

"They release the defense codes," Freya said slowly.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear," the Doctor finished grimly.

"But why?" Harriet asked as the Doctor stalked over to the door. He pushed a button and the metal slid away.

"You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked," the Doctor stated.

"And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away," the woman said gleefully. The voice. It was the same voice as the alien that'd come into the room while I was under the dead prime minister.

"But you'll destroy the planet. What for?" Harriet asked in disbelief.

"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert," the Doctor said angrily.

"The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chunks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel," the woman said gleefully.

"But what about earth? You'd kill five billion people," Freya spoke up, aghast.

"Bargain," the woman said with a careless shrug.

"I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I'll stop you," the Doctor told her coldly.

"What, you? Trapped in your box?" she asked in disbelief. The Doctor nodded.

"Yes. Me," he said, pushing the button to close it just as the woman's laughter ebbed off.

The night drifted on. No one slept. The Doctor remained sitting at the desk, staring into space, head in his hands as he thought. Harriet had taken to pacing the room. Freya was curled up next to the wardrobe, eyes stuck on the wall. There was nothing they could do. They had no plans.

Around seven in the morning, Freya's phone rang. The Doctor answered it, placing it back on the speaker.

"All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do," Jackie's voice filled the room. They'd hung up earlier to save phone battery.

"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid," Harriet supplied. It was obvious she'd been thinking of that for awhile.

"Any luck there?" Freya called, hoping someone at the flat had come up with an idea.

"There's loads of emergency numbers, but they're all on voicemail," Masen's voice spoke up.

"Voicemail dooms us all," Harriet said glumly.

"If we could just get out here," Freya murmured.

"There's a way out," the Doctor said. Freya's head jerked up to stare at him. He was staring at her, a sad sort of look on his face. An almost resigned look. The look terrified Freya.

"What?" Freya asked, although she really didn't want to ask.

"There's always been a way out," the Doctor said once more.

"Then why don't you use it?" Mickey asked from the other end. The Doctor's eyes never left Freya.

"Because I can't guarantee Freya will be safe," the Doctor said.

"Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare," Rose threatened into the phone.

"That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies," the Doctor said sadly.

"Do it," Freya said, forcing her words to come out stronger than she felt.

The Doctor's eyes filled with something she couldn't identify. He shook his head.

"You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me?" he asked in disbelief and shock. Freya nodded.

"Yeah. I trust you with my life. To do what you know is right," Freya told him, swallowing as she added the second half. Because if it was her versus the entire Earth, the rest of the Earth was more important.

"Please. Don't," Marie begged.

"She's our friend," Rose added.

"She's just a kid," Jackie piped up, seeming quite distressed by the thought. The Doctor spun around to glare at the phone.

"Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will," the Doctor spat.

"Then what're you waiting for?" Freya asked, but her voice wavered. It was too quiet, and it wavered. The Doctor turned to face her once more, the anger melting off of his face.

"I could save the world but lose you," the Doctor told her sadly.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine," Harriet said, standing abruptly.

"And who the hell are you?" Marie asked angrily.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it," Harriet said firmly.

"How do we get out?" Freya asked, pulling herself up using the wardrobe.

"We don't. We stay here," the Doctor said, opening a red box. He started going through files at lightning speed.

"Okay Rickey, still have the website pulled up?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Mickey asked.

"Use the buffalo password. It overrides everything," the Doctor ordered.

"What're you doing?" Jackie asked Mickey through the phone.

"Hacking into the Royal Navy. We're in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth," Mickey explained.

"Right, we need to select a missile," the Doctor said.

"We can't go nuclear. We don't have the defense codes," Mickey said quickly.

"We don't need it. All we need's an ordinary missile," the Doctor said grimly. Freya made her way over to the other two, silently slipping her hand into the Doctors. He glanced at her, surprised by the contact but said nothing against it.

"What's the first category?" the Doctor asked Mickey.

"Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A," Mickey read off. The Doctor was silent for a moment before nodding.

"That's the one. Select," the Doctor commanded. There was silence on the other end, muffled words that they couldn't make out.

"You ready for this?" the Doctor asked for clarification.

"Yeah," Mickey said nervously.

"Mickey the Idiot, the world is in your hands. Fire," the Doctor commanded.

"Oh my God," Jackie said in the background.

"How solid are these?" Harriet asked, gesturing towards the walls.

"Not solid enough. Built for short-range attack, nothing this big," the Doctor said sadly, squeezing Freya's hand tighter in his. Freya glanced over at the small room and her eyes widened.

"That room. Remember what they say about earthquakes? You can survive them by standing under a doorframe. The room's small so it's strong, right? Come on!" Freya urged, yanking her hand from the Doctors as she dashed for the cupboard.

The Doctor and Harriet helped her drag the bodies out before

"Counter defense five five six," Mickey read off. The Doctor dropped the body and grabbed the phone from the port.

"Stop them from intercepting it," the Doctor ordered as he ushered Harriet and Freya into the cupboard.

"I'm doing it now," Mickey answered.

"Good boy," the Doctor said in relief. He shifted, holding the phone with his shoulder as he helped Harriet lay down on the floor.

"Five five six neutralized," Mickey said. The Doctor nodded, giving Freya a light push to the ground as he pulled the door shut behind him. He hung up the phone and slid in between Freya and Harriet.

"Right. It was nice knowing you both," Harriet said as the Doctor pulled Freya to him. Freya squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact.

They didn't have long to wait. Moments later, the room shook and was thrown. It felt like they were on a rollercoaster without seatbelts, without seats of any kind. She was pulled tighter to the Doctor as they tumbled about the room. They slammed into a table bolted to the ground, Freya's back hitting it with the Doctor slamming into her. Harriet narrowly missed it, only to hit her own head against the door. When the shaking finally stopped, the Doctor jumped back, pulling Freya with him.

"You both okay?" the Doctor asked them. Harriet stood on her own, gripping her head for a moment before nodding.

"And you?" the Doctor asked Freya. She winced and nodded, but as soon as the Doctor released her she collapsed.

"Back…hurts," Freya gasped out as the Doctor pulled her back up.

"We'll get you checked out at the TARDIS," the Doctor told her as he wrapped an arm around her and used his other hand to push the steel door open.

And by open, Freya realized, the door completely fell off. Outside, the whole area was rubble. The Doctor leaned down and scooped her cell phone up, placing it in one of his pockets. Harriet stumbled out of the room first, glancing around.

"Made in Britain," she murmured as someone came running up tot hem.

'Oh my God. Are you all right?" the stranger asked.

"Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact the UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down. Go on, tell the news," Harriet said, her voice filled with authority.

"Yes ma'am," the stranger responded instantly. Harriet turned back to Freya and the Doctor. The Doctor tried helping Freya to take a step but Freya's legs were too wobbly. He picked her up instead.

"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord. We haven't even got a Prime Minister," Harriet said in horror.

"Maybe you should have a go," the Doctor suggested, a smile on his face.

"Me? Huh. I'm only a back-bencher," she said, her tone degrading.

"I'd vote for you," Freya said, her voice sounding shaky but sure.

"Now, don't be silly. Look, I'd better go and see if I can help. Hang on!" Harriet yelled to reporters that were starting to gather. She made her way over to them as the Doctor carried Freya in the opposite direction.

"I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age," the Doctor said as they walked away.

He brought her straight to the TARDIS, to the med-bay once more.

"You might as well just make this my room. I'm here enough," Freya told him, hoping her voice sounded light enough. He sat her down on the table and helped her roll over.

"I'm going to pull up the back of your shirt so I can feel your back, make sure none of the disks in your spine are out of place," the Doctor narrated. She nodded and felt the cold air hit her back. She shivered, but the shivering went away when the TARDIS filled her once more with warmth. His fingers ghosted over her back, pressing lightly against every bone in her spine.

"Still hurt?' the Doctor asked her quietly.

"Yeah. It's higher up though," Freya admitted. The Doctor's hands stilled for a moment.

"I may need you to take your shirt completely off then," the Doctor said, his voice sounding odd to her ears.

"How do I do it?" she asked. She didn't think she could sit up on her own without hurting herself more, and she was already face down.

Before she could think of any other possible solutions, the Doctor was lifting her shirt up to her neck. He didn't pull her arms out.

"Keep your arms where they are. I don't want you hurting yourself anymore. You're a danger magnet, you know?" he asked her lightly. His fingers brushed against her back once more. As they approached her bra strap, she winced.

"There?" the Doctor asked. Freya nodded, wincing once more. The Doctor sighed at her movement.

"Sorry," he said.

And that was the only warning she had before he unhooked her bra.

Freya jumped slightly at the movement but stilled when the Doctor's hands pressed against her back. Another wince of pain shot through her.

"It's in place. It was probably just strained. I can realign it for you. That may make it feel better," the Doctor offered.

"Do whatever you think necessary," Freya told him.

A moment later, there was a sudden pressure a little ways below where her back was hurting. A pressure that hurt. But then the hurt faded. The Doctor growled, more to himself – or so Freya assumed.

"Ugh. Table's too high for the right angle. Right. This might be a bit awkward for ya, Freya. Hold on," he said as he released her.

And climbed onto the table. She felt a pressure settle just below her bum as the Doctor leaned forward.

"Sorry. This would be the best angle to get your back in alignment. Do you want me to tell you about the test results, while I'm doing it?" the Doctor asked her.

"Yeah. Sounds like a good distraction," Freya murmured.

"Right. You should have gone to a doctor, before now. You were about size immunizations short of current day vaccinations. Your one arm, the one I'm assuming you broke when you were little, didn't heal completely right. But it shouldn't be too big of a problem," the Doctor explained as he pressed on her back.

There were three cracks, one after the other, each accompanied by a burst of pain. Then a good feeling made its way through her.

"You also had a few vitamin deficiencies. You didn't have too much brain trauma, nothing me and the TARDIS couldn't fix up," the Doctor continued as he moved up her back.

"Nice mole, by the way," the Doctor said. Freya felt his fingers brush over it. She had a mole on her back, right under where her bra usually rested.

"Did anything say why I was so tired and kept passing out?" Freya asked, wincing slightly as he popped another area of her back.

"No. I think it was from the medical induced coma. You know, after effects?" the Doctor said. He leaned further over her, near her neck. With one final crack, he sighed.

"Done," he said.

"I'd hope you're done!" a voice shouted from the doorway. Freya's eyes shot up and she was sure the Doctor's eyes did as well. Marie, Jackie, Rose, Masen and Mickey were standing in the doorway, each of them with wide eyes.

"She hurt her back. I was fixing it," the Doctor said awkwardly, not moving from his spot.

"So you thought crawling on top of her was the solution?" Marie scoffed.

"You're a chiropractor too now?" Jackie asked in disbelief. The Doctor moved up and she felt him climb off the table.

"Feel better?" the Doctor asked Freya, completely ignoring everyone else. Freya nodded carefully.

"I think so," she said.

"Sit up then," the Doctor urged. Freya shook her head.

"Only if everyone turns around," she said, feeling her face turn read. The Doctor's ears turned a bright pink and he spun around so quickly Freya was sure he almost fell.

"Oi! Turn around so she can fix her clothes!" the Doctor ordered. The group slowly turned around, Jackie and Marie grumbling in the process while Rose merely giggled. Once they all were looking away, Freya quickly sat up and struggled to hook her bra back. Her back felt completely better. After a few minutes of struggling and not wanting to have to spin her bra around while there were men in the room, albeit them being turned around, she just pulled the shirt down and hoped no one noticed.

"Okay," Freya said. Everyone spun around, the Doctor faster than the rest.

"Better? Everything feel good?" he asked, instantly moving to press on her back. Where he felt no bra strap.

"Good," Freya bit out, glad that the Doctor said nothing.

"Are you going to stay with us then?" Marie interrupted. Freya glanced up at them, noting the hopeful looks on everyone's faces.

She couldn't. She just couldn't stay. Not after everything she'd seen. Her hand unconsciously made its way to her necklace, not the one she'd had all her life, but the new one. The one she claimed was an engagement necklace.

"I think I'm going to stay with my fiancé," Freya said deliberately. The Doctor glanced at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Please. You can break up with him still. That doesn't mean anything. What about us? What about your friends?" Masen scoffed.

"The four of you? You're paired up. I'd be the fifth wheel. I'll stick with this alien, thanks," Freya said, her voice coming out stronger.

"But he can't keep you safe," Jackie pointed out.

"He will keep me as safe as he can. He can't make a promise that he'll always keep me safe. That's just not how things work. But he's kept me safe so far. And I trust him," Freya told them.

"But you'll come back right? It won't be another year long wait?" Rose asked, biting her lip.

"I don't think it'll be a year. I hope it isn't a year," Freya said, shooting the Doctor a sideways look.

One by one, the lot hugged her. Even Masen, who she sensed still didn't like her near as much as Marie did.

"Let us know the moment you come back to Earth. And call us!" Rose said softly.

"So you don't want to come?" Freya asked, surprised. Rose hesitated, glancing between Freya and the Doctor.

"I think the two of you could use another trip alone. Come get me soon though, okay?" Rose asked. Freya nodded, smiling at the girl.

"Wait! How did you lot get in here?" the Doctor asked sharply.

"The TARDIS let us in," Rose said with a wink towards Freya.

"But why would she just let you in?" the Doctor asked.

"She probably wanted us to walk in on you in a compromising position," Rose teased him as she walked out of the room. The Doctor shook his head, glaring slightly at the ceiling.

"Are you trying to get me killed by domestics?" he growled at the ceiling. Freya could hear the TARDIS's laughter in her head.

**Okay, so that last scene was entirely unnecessary but I couldn't resist. What do you think? :)**

**Andi**


	6. Dalek

**Warning: chapters may slow down a bit soon. Just figured I'd say that right now. I'm still watching the show and I'm halfway through series five, so I'm doing my best to catch up and whatnot, along with everything else. **

Chapter 6: Dalek

She had only just stepped back in the TARDIS when the lights started going off. In her arms were six cuttings of trees from the Amazon. Her and the Doctor had landed there so Freya could gather the cuttings.

"What's going on?" Freya asked, worried instantly.

"The TARDIS is latching onto a distress signal. You can go put those in the greenhouse room," the Doctor told her.

"We have a greenhouse room?" Freya asked, wrinkling her nose. The Doctor shrugged.

"The TARDIS likes you. I'm sure she'll make you a greenhouse room. Get those cuttings planted while you're in there," the Doctor told her. Freya nodded and scampered down the hallways, following the gold particles that appeared in front of her.

"Someday, I wish you'd tell me why you don't let the Doctor see these," Freya murmured, delighting in the peals of laughter that echoed in her mind.

_Where'd be the fun in that? He'll learn one day, when he's ready to learn._

Freya couldn't argue with the TARDIS's logic. The TARDIS seemed to know the future, moreso than even the Doctor did.

She came to a stop when the hallway vanished, leaving a door labeled, "Greenhouse" in front of her. Freya smiled and nudged the door open.

The room was amazing. It had an artificial sky and everything. And the air felt just like the air from the Amazon. Freya dropped to the ground near a patch of fresh soil and started her planting.

Unfortunately, Freya ended up covered in dirt. She knew she would. She always did when she tried her hand at gardening. That was one of the reasons she rarely gardened.

The Doctor had made it sound like whatever they were doing was urgent. She didn't have time to find a new outfit. Even if the TARDIS made the closet appear right next to the Greenhouse, it always took awhile to navigate the place.

Freya jumped when she turned around and saw clothes laying for her, ready to slip on. She stifled a giggle at the sight, slipping the flowy pants and oversized shirt over her head. The pants were patterned, slightly odd in appearance, and the shirt suspiciously resembled the Doctor's shirts. Freya stood once she was dressed and quickly made her way to the console room.

She got there just as the TARDIS was landing. The Doctor turned and his eyes widened when he saw her.

"You have a bit of dirt in your hair," he told her, making his way towards her. Freya's hands automatically went to her hair, trying to shake the dirt out. The Doctor's own hands joined her effort before he removed them and rubbed her face slightly.

"How did you manage to get completely covered in dirt in such a short time? Were you rolling in the dirt?" the Doctor asked her in disbelief.

"I'm not the best gardener," Freya admitted, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Well, let's go see who needs help!" the Doctor said cheerfully, rushing for the door. Freya followed him a bit slower. An uneasy feeling arose inside of her.

"Doctor…something doesn't feel right," Freya admitted. The Doctor opened the door and walked out, examining the surroundings.

"Like something didn't feel right about the Gelth?" the Doctor asked her, reaching behind her to flip on a light. The lights illuminated multiple displays, sort of like a museum.

"No. A different sort of off, but similar. Where are we?" Freya asked, glancing around uncomfortably.

"Earth. Utah, North America. About half a mile underground," the Doctor explained, moving away from her to look at display cases.

"And when?" Freya questioned

"Two thousand and twelve," the Doctor said absently, moving to another display case.

"That's so close. What is this place?" Freya asked him as she passed a rock. It looked just like a normal rock.

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby. They must have spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust. That's the milometer from the Roswell spaceship," the Doctor said, pointing at something else as he spoke. Freya's eyes landed on a green arm. A familiar looking green arm.

"That's a bit of Slitheen. A Slitheen arm, right? It's been stuffed," Freya said, almost sadly. The Doctor nodded, moving towards what looked like a metal head of a robot.

"Oh, look at you," the Doctor said, his tone almost reminiscent.

"What is it?" Freya asked him, staring at the head. It gave her the creeps. Maybe that was what her off feeling was coming from? It could be.

Freya doubted it.

"An old friend of mine. Well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old," the Doctor said, his tone now fully reminiscent.

"The signal isn't coming from that, is it? It's dead…right?" Freya asked nervously, taking a step away from the display.

"No. You're right. It's stone dead. There's something living here, calling for help," the Doctor said as he reached out to touch the display case sadly.

The moment his hands touched the display, an alarm went off. Freya jumped, moving instantly towards the Doctor. Armed guards rushed into the room, immediately surrounding them. Freya's grip on the Doctor's arm tightened at the sight.

"If someone's collecting aliens, doesn't that make you Exhibit A?" Freya murmured worriedly.

It didn't take a genius to see the realization fill the Doctor's eyes at her words.

They were in trouble.

The guards led them to an office where a balding man was examining what looked like junk to Freya. A dark haired man – boy – was handing him item after item, explaining each item. A tall red-head was watching them intently from over her clipboard.

"And this is the last. Paid eight hundred thousand dollars for it," the boy explained, looking quite smug.

"What does it do?" the balding man asked.

"Well, you see the tubes on the side? It must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel," the boy guessed.

"I really wouldn't hold it like that," the Doctor said, but his expression wasn't serious. Freya gravitated towards the Doctor, gripping his leather-clad arm tightly.

"Shut it," the curly haired red head spat at the Doctor.

"Really, though, that's wrong," the Doctor insisted.

"Is it dangerous?" the boy asked anxiously, his eyes going wide.

"Nah. Just looks silly," the Doctor said, reaching for the object. The moment he moved, the guards surrounding them were moved to aim on him. Freya squeaked, pressing herself tighter against his side.

The man handed the Doctor the object, looking rather intrigued to be doing so.

"You just need to be delicate," the Doctor explained as he gently stroked the object.

"It's a musical instrument," the balding man exhaled, eyes glued to the object.

"And it's a long way from home," the Doctor said absently. The balding man reached for it, plucking it from the Doctor's hands. He tried mimicking the Doctor, and the instrument produced a rough sound.

"I did say delicate. It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision," the Doctor warned, wincing at the sound. The balding man shifted almost instantly, creating a sound similar to the Doctor's.

"Very good. Quite the expert," the Doctor praised. The balding man shrugged and tossed the instrument to the ground carelessly.

"As are you. Who exactly are you?" he asked, eyes calculating.

"I'm the Doctor. And you are?" the Doctor asked him, sounding almost pleasant. Freya couldn't tell yet whether he was serious or not.

The balding man scoffed at them.

"As if you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artifacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake?" the balding man asked in disbelief. The Doctor didn't seem to catch his disbelief and nodded, a grin on his face.

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah," he said pleasantly.

"The question is, how did you get in? Fifty-three floors down, with your little pet. She's covered in dirt. Did you tunnel down?" the man asked. The Doctor looked rather amused.

"No. She was taking up a bit of gardening. Can't take her anywhere," he joked.

"Stop it," Freya murmured. Her bad feeling was growing, and she really didn't want to have attention drawn to her.

"She's English too! Hey, little Lord Fautleroy, got you a girlfriend," the man said to the dark haired boy.

"This is Mr. Henry Van Statten," the boy told Freya and the Doctor, his tone taking on a superior tone.

"Should we know that name?" the Doctor asked him, appearing as puzzled as Freya felt.

"Mr. Van Statten owns the internet," the boy boasted.

"No one owns the internet," Freya retorted, confused by his statement.

"Let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Mr. Van Statten said with a wink at Freya.

"So you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up," the Doctor stated, his voice cold now.

"And you claim greater knowledge?" Mr. Van Statten asked in disbelief.

"I don't need to make claims. I know how good I am," he said, his voice brimming with confidence.

"And yet I captured you. Right next to the cage. What were you doing down there?" Mr. Van Statten asked, leaning over his desk, eyes locked on the Doctor.

"You tell me." The Doctor and Mr. Van Statten stared at each other for a moment, each sizing the other.

"The cage contains my one living specimen," Mr. Van Statten said.

"And what's that?" the Doctor asked quickly.

"Like you don't know," Mr. Van Statten retorted.

"Show me," the Doctor ordered, his eyes hard.

"You want to see it?" Mr. Van Statten baited him.

"Goddard, inform the cage we're heading down. You, English. Look after the girl. Go and canoodle or spoon or whatever it is you British do. And you, Doctor with no name, come and see my pet," Mr. Van Statten. Freya's eyes widened at his words.

"Oi! No spooning or canoodling my companion," the Doctor threatened the boy. The boy nodded quickly as the Doctor pried Freya's hands from his arm, leaving her with a smile and the boy whose gaze disturbed her.

The boy led her out of the room and towards another room not far away.

"I'm Adam. Sorry about the mess. Mr. Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing, so long as I deliver the goods. What do you think that is?" the boy introduced himself, giving Freya a piece of metal as he did.

"A lump of metal?" Freya asked uncomfortably. Adam stared at her for a moment.

"What's your name?" he asked expectantly. Freya didn't want to tell him. She didn't like him.

"Freya," she finally murmured. Adam nodded, turning his attention back to the metal in her hands.

He took it from her and went into a long-winded talk of what he thought it was, what he thought was out there, everything.

"So who's the Doctor bloke you're with? Is he your boyfriend?" Adam asked her, noticing that she'd dazed off. Freya jumped slightly before her eyes widened. She started to protest but stopped.

He seemed interested in her. And she didn't like him. He made her feel uncomfortable.

"Not really. He's my fiancé. Different culture. Engagement necklace," Freya said, pointing to the necklace the Doctor had given to her. Adam's expression was one of disbelief.

"He's a bit old for ya, isn't he?" Adam asked.

"He's just fine," Freya corrected him, hoping Adam would drop it. He turned away, moving to a computer.

"What are you doing?" Freya asked, moving towards the computer. It was making some weird noise. When her eyes landed on it, she couldn't hold back the gasp.

There was a metal…thing…in the room, and someone was taking a chainsaw-like machine to it. The sound was it screaming.

"We have to get down there and stop it!" Freya protested. Adam, to her surprise, nodded and grabbed his ID with one hand and her hand with the other, dragging her quickly to the lift. The lift moved quickly, sliding down the floors. Adam pulled her out, flashing his ID at the security guard that approached them.

"Level three access. Special clearance from Mr. Van Statten," Adam said with an air of confidence as he pushed his way into the cage. Freya pushed past him, approaching the metal creature cautiously.

"Don't get too close," Adam warned her. Freya nodded, ignoring him. The door slid close behind them.

"Hello? Are you in pain? I'm Freya. I…I'm here with a friend. We can help you. What's your name?" Freya asked tentatively, inching closer, her voice quiet.

"Yes," the creature said, its voice sounding like a screaming robot.

"What?" Freya asked, stepping closer.

"I am in pain. They torture me, but they still fear me. Do you fear me?" the creature asked her. Freya felt her heart go out to the creature, despite her stomach that was doing flips.

"No. I…I feel sorry for you," Freya admitted, her voice barely over a whisper.

"I am dying," the creature admitted, somehow sounding resigned.

"We can help you," Freya told it, not wanting to see this alien die in front of her. Neither would the Doctor.

"I welcome death. But I am glad that before I die I have met a human who was not afraid," the creature told Freya. Her heart ached even more as she moved so she was right in front of the creature.

"Isn't there anything I can do? Anything that can comfort you?" Freya asked in pity.

"My race is dead, and I shall die alone," the creature said, its eyepiece lowering. Freya reached out, not wanting the creature to die alone.

Her hand burned the moment it touched the creature. She pulled her hand back, ignoring the scream behind her. Her handprint was almost burnt into the creature's metal before it faded. The creature seemed to brighten up, lose its dullness. Adam yanked her back quickly.

"Genetic material extrapolated. Initial cellular reconstruction!" the creature shouted. The door opened and the man who had been torturing the creature rushed in.

"What the hell have you done?" he asked as the creature snapped the chains. Freya stumbled back, terrified. The man rushed forward, his drill in his hands. The creature raised its other appendage, what looked like a plunger.

"What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?" he asked scathingly. The plunger moved closer and covered his nose and mouth. Freya gasped and Adam yanked her out of the room.

"It's killing him!" Freya shouted, horrified.

"Condition red! Condition red!" the security guard shouted. The door slid shut, trapping the creature inside. A screen flashed to life and Freya was greeted by the sight of Mr. Van Statten and the Doctor.

"You've got to keep it in that cell," the Doctor said urgently.

"Doctor, it's my fault," Freya whispered.

"I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out. That lock's got a billion combinations," the security guard boasted.

"A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat," the Doctor said grimly. Freya held her breath, staring at the door as it slowly began to open.

"Open fire!" the security guard yelled. A number of them started shooting, only to hear Mr. Van Statten order them to stop.

"Freya, get out of there!" the Doctor yelled, his voice borderline terrified.

"De Maggio, take the civilians and get them out alive. That's your job, got that?" the main security guard ordered a woman. The woman nodded and pointed to Freya and Adam.

"You two, with me!" she ordered as she started running. Freya and Adam wasted no time in following after her, Freya's heart beating twice as fast as it ought to. They crashed into the middle of a heavily armed hallway.

"Civilians, let them through!" De Maggio shouted, bursting through the mess. The soldiers stepped aside, allowing Adam and Freya to rush through. As they are running, they come to a set of stairs.

"Yes! Stairs! It doesn't have legs!" Adam cheered as they made it to the first platform above the Dalek. Freya tried running onwards but Adam grabbed her wrist, holding her in place. The Dalek's eyestalk seemed to focus on her for a moment.

"Great big alien death machine, defeated by a flight of stairs," Adam taunted. The Dalek's eyestalk swung up to him and then down at the stairs.

"Elevate," it said. Freya's blood ran cold. The Dalek started to hover over the ground.

"Adam, get her out of here!" De Maggio ordered, pulling out her gun.

"No! You can't stop it!" Freya begged. The woman shook her head, not even glancing up at Freya.

"Someone's got to try. Now get out! Don't look back! Just run!" she ordered. They made it up a few flights when they heard De Maggio's cry. Adam dragged Freya off of the stairs and down a hallway, ending up in a room full of massive amounts of soldiers.

"Hold your fire! You two, get the hell out of there!" the commander shouted at Freya and Adam dragged her past he guard at the entrance, where he stopped once more. Freya watched in cold horror as the Dalek entered the room. Its eyestalk rotated, stopping on her. Focusing on her. Adam pulled her out of the room quickly.

"It was looking at me," Freya whispered in horror.

"Yeah. It wants to slaughter us," Adam said, trying to catch his breath.

"I know, but it was looking right at me," Freya repeated, feeling much too shaken at the realization.

"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing. It's looking all around," Adam continued. Freya shook her head, eyes staring at the doorway they'd just run through.

"I don't know. It's like there's something inside that recognizes me," Freya murmured. Adam didn't respond.

Adam and her stayed where they were for a moment. Then the screams began. But Adam wouldn't let go of her wrist, wouldn't move on.

"I want Freya."

The Dalek's voice carried from the other room. Freya's eyes met Adam's eyes, both wide in horror.

"You can't have her!" the Doctor's voice retorted angrily. Adam pulled her on, immediately taking off towards the stairs.

"Come on! We've got to get out of here!" Adam said desperately. As they started running up the stairs, Adam drifted ahead of her, letting go of her hand. Freya pushed herself as hard as she could.

Her cell phone rang. She considered ignoring it. But what if it was the Doctor? She pulled it out, tripping over a step as she did. She managed to pick herself up quickly, answering the phone as she prayed it wasn't her mother.

"Really bad time," Freya panted into the phone. Adam was a good deal ahead of her.

"Where are you?" the Doctor asked her quickly.

"Level forty-nine," Freya gasped, glad she was right at a number.

"You've got to keep moving. The vault's being sealed off up at level forty-six," the Doctor said anxiously.

"How long?" Freya asked, stumbling over another step.

"Minutes. Or less. For God's sake, Freya, run!" the Doctor shouted into the phone. Freya gripped the phone tightly as she took off running, pushing herself as hard as she could.

She hit level forty-six just in time to see Adam turn down a hallway. She pushed herself, pushed herself as hard as she could. Her heart felt like it would explode. Her lungs weren't getting enough air. And the gate was going down.

Adam rolled underneath it.

And then it just closed.

Freya slowed at the sight, all but walking up to the gate, phone forgotten in her hand. Her lungs ached. Her heart – hearts – felt like they were going to explode. She pressed her free hand to the left side of her chest, noting that she could feel a heartbeat from her tiny heart. Her tiny heart was beating. Almost beating like a heart at rest would be.

That couldn't be good.

Not that it mattered now. Freya turned around. The Dalek would be there any moment. It didn't matter how fast her hearts were beating, how badly her lungs burned for air. She would be dead in a few moments.

"FREYA!" the Doctor's voice brought her back to reality.

"Yes?" Freya asked quietly.

"Did you make it?" the Doctor asked desperately, his voice begging her.

"I was a bit slow," Freya admitted, feeling a nervous laugh erupt from her throat. She shook her head. She could hear the Dalek rolling towards her, down the hall.

"Doctor, it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself. You…you gave me weeks longer than I would have had without you. I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Freya whispered as the Dalek rounded the corner. She hung up the phone, tucking it in her pocket as the Dalek came closer.

"EXTERMINATE!" it screamed at her. Freya's eyes squeezed shut in terror.

But nothing happened.

After a few seconds, she opened her eyes to see the Dalek directly in front of her, the blue eyestalk focused on her intently.

"What are you doing?" Freya asked it, confused. It zoomed in on her face.

"I feel your fear," the Dalek said in its emotionless voice.

"Of course you feel my fear. You're about to kill me," Freya said, her voice cracking.

"Daleks don't fear! Daleks don't have emotions!" the Dalek all but screamed at her, causing Freya to wince. It stopped once more.

"I feel your pain," the Dalek said, but its tone was closer to awe.

"And I feel your loneliness," the Dalek finally said before it moved closer, prodding her with its laser shooter thing.

"Move forward!" it ordered. Freya did as it asked and the Dalek moved behind her, digging its laser into her back. Another wave of fear shot through her. The laser shooter jumped slightly in time with her fear.

Freya glanced up to see a camera, one similar to the one near the cage. It flickered on, revealing the Doctor in Mr. Van Statten's office. He was shouting angrily at Adam.

"Open the bulkhead or Freya dies!" the Dalek demanded. The Doctor's shout died midsentence and he spun, eyes wide as they landed on Freya.

"You're alive!" he half cried, half choked. The laser in her back dug farther into her spine, causing her to wince.

"I thought you were dead," the Doctor continued, his voice cracking slightly with the words.

"Open the bulkhead!" the Dalek demanded even louder.

"Don't do it!" Freya shouted. She couldn't even imagine causing any more deaths.

"What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love? The woman who loves you?" the Dalek taunted. Freya's skin paled drastically at its words.

The screen went blank and the bulkhead opened.

"I don't love the Doctor. And he doesn't love me," Freya whispered more to herself than to the Dalek.

"I can feel your emotions. You love him," the Dalek droned as it led her to a lift. She was shoved inside as it followed her. Its plunger locked onto the control and the lift doors closed. It slowly started rising.

"Please. Don't kill them. Don't kill anyone else. You didn't kill me," Freya begged, biting her lip the moment the words left her mouth. The Dalek's eyestalk swiveled back around to focus on her.

"But why not? Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?" the Dalek questioned, its voice sounding almost scared. The elevator stopped and opened. Mr. Van Statten was in the room, eyes wide in horror.

The Doctor was nowhere in sight.

"Don't move. It's beginning to question itself," Freya warned, stepping out alongside the Dalek. The Dalek's laser moved from Freya to Mr. Van Statten.

"Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?" the Dalek asked angrily. Mr. Van Statten glanced at Freya before staring at the Dalek, sweat forming on his brow.

"I wanted to help you. I just, I don't know. I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!" Mr. Van Statten begged, backing up as he spoke. His back slammed into the wall and he cast a look at Freya, a desperate look. A begging look.

"No! Don't kill him. Please!" Freya shouted, moving towards Mr. Van Statten. The Dalek's eyestalk swiveled once more towards her. Freya drew in a shaky breath, pressing her hand against her chest. Her heart was still beating much too fast. But her other heart had slowed down.

"There must be something else you want, something besides killing. What else is there? What do you want?" Freya asked the alien. The Dalek observed her for a moment, thinking.

"I want….freedom," the Dalek said. Freya smiled at its words.

"Then let's go get you freedom," she told it, reaching out and gently touching its eyestalk. It jerked away from her and held up its plunger thing. Freya tentatively wrapped her hand around it as it started to move.

Once they had left the room, heading upwards, the Dalek began speaking.

"You touched me. Willingly. After what happened," the Dalek observed. Freya jumped slightly at the words.

"And yet you still fear me," it continued sadly.

"I fear lots of things," Freya admitted sadly.

"But why are you touching me?" it asked her.

"Because everyone wants to be touched. Everyone wants to be held. Especially those who can't be," Freya murmured.

The Dalek was silent as they made their way to the ground floor. The Dalek stopped, aiming its laser at the ceiling and blasting a hole in the roof. A ray of sunlight streamed down, resting on both Freya and the Dalek.

"You made it. We made it. I never thought I'd feel sunlight again," Freya said with a shaky laugh.

"How does it feel?" the Dalek asked her. Before Freya could respond, it moved. Freya jumped back slightly as the middle and dome sections opened, revealing the real Dalek. The Dalek was rather slimy in appearance and held out a tentacle towards the sun. Its eye drifted towards Freya.

"Do I scare you?" the Dalek asked her. Freya shook her head, staring at the poor creature.

"Will you hold me?" it asked her, sounding more hesitant than it had before.

And Freya's heart just broke.

She didn't even hesitate to scoop the Dalek up from its metal prison, cradling the creature in her arms. It closed its eye, relaxing fully into her embrace.

The sound of footsteps pounding behind her caused Freya to jump. She spun around, still standing in the sunlight. The Doctor slammed into a stop, holding a massive gun aimed on her. His eyes were wide in fear as he regarded the Dalek in her arms.

"Freya! Drop it! Now! Drop it and get out of the way!" the Doctor shouted at her, his voice full of fury. Freya winced at the hatred in his voice and her arms tightened around the helpless creature in her arms.

"No. I won't let you do this," Freya told him bravely.

"That thing killed hundreds of people," the Doctor informed her, as if she didn't know. The gun didn't lower.

"No. We killed hundreds of people. I helped it by bringing it back to life," Freya said quietly.

"It's a monster!" the Doctor roared.

"It's not the one pointing a gun at me," Freya pointed out softly. The Doctor stared down at the gun in his hands and back up at her, his expression breaking.

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left," the Doctor said brokenly.

"But look at it," Freya said. She glanced down at the Dalek in her arms. It had opened its eye and was regarding her sadly.

"What's it doing?" the Doctor asked, the gun still in his hands.

"It just wanted to be held," Freya whispered brokenly.

"Daleks don't do contact. They kill anyone that touch them," the Doctor warned her.

"It's changing. It didn't kill Mr. Van Statten. It couldn't kill me. Doctor, it's changing," Freya said, staring down at the creature in her arms as it stared back up at her. She glanced back up at the Doctor.

"And what about you? What are you changing into?" Freya asked him, the words coming out harsher than she intended for them to come out. The Doctor dropped the gun to the ground, making his way over to Freya, his face the epitome of brokenness.

"I couldn't…I wasn't…Oh Freya. They're all dead," the Doctor whispered brokenly as he stopped a foot from Freya.

"Why do we survive?" the Dalek asked, its voice a wheeze now that it was outside its shell.

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted honestly.

"I am the last of the Daleks," the Dalek said sadly.

"You're not even that. Freya did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed her DNA. You're mutating," the Doctor told the creature.

"Into what?" the Dalek asked.

"Something new. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor said as he stared down, pity filling his eyes. Freya's grip tightened on the creature.

"Isn't that better?" she begged the Doctor.

"Not for a Dalek," the Doctor told her sadly.

"I can feel so many ideas. So much darkness. So much loneliness. Freya! Give me orders. Order me to die," the Dalek begged her, reaching a tentacle up towards her face. Freya allowed the creature to touch her face, closing her eyes as it did. A tear fell down her face.

"I can't do that," Freya whispered.

"This is not life. This is sickness. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction! Please!" the Dalek begged. Freya looked up at the Doctor, begging him for an answer, some other solution. The Doctor shook his head sadly.

Freya turned back to the metal casing the Dalek had been in and gently sat the creature inside it. The creature wrapped its tentacle around her wrist for a moment before pulling back and making the exterior of the Dalek go back into place.

"Do it," Freya ordered, her voice quivering.

"Are you frightened, Freya?" the Dalek asked her. Freya shook her head, wrapping her now-empty arms tightly around her midsection. Tears fell from her eyes freely.

"No. I'm sad. Because I'm alone," Freya admitted.

"I am alone too. Exterminate," the Dalek said, rolling back so it was a good distance from them. It elevated and then sort of imploded. The sight caused Freya to collapse, gasping, sobbing.

After a moment, she felt two warm arms wrap themselves tightly around her from behind. She had no idea how long they sat there, but after awhile the Doctor stood and tugged her gently to her feet. When she was standing, he walked in front of her and hugged her once more, allowing her to sob into the front of his shirt.

"You aren't alone," the Doctor told her as he rubbed soothing circles into her back. He stared at the area where the Dalek had been standing.

Daleks didn't have emotions. But this one had mutated. The last Dalek had mutated.

Not only had it mutated, but it had allowed itself to be held. And Freya had held it. Like it was child. She trusted the creature not to kill her, and it trusted her not to kill it. He had never heard of something like that happening before.

When Freya finally felt like she could move without bursting into tears, she pulled back and stared into the Doctor's eyes.

"Is that the end of it? The Time War?" Freya asked, her voice still quivering.

"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that?" he asked bitterly.

"The Dalek survived. Maybe some of your people did too," Freya tried offering up some hope to the desolate man in front of her. He shook his head sadly.

"No. I'd know. In here. Feels like there's no one here," the Doctor said, pointing to his head sadly. Freya stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"When I was running, both of my hearts were beating," Freya admitted. The Doctor's hands instantly went to her chest, resting over both of her hearts.

"They calmed down now. But when I was running, my small heart was beating almost like a normal heart at rest," Freya admitted, biting her lip.

"It's increased its beating. About once every ten seconds now, it seems. That running must've jumpstarted your heart," the Doctor said, shaking his head at the thought.

Her and the Doctor took the lift down to the floor where the TARDIS was parked. The two of them slowly walked towards it, only stopping when they heard Adam call for them.

"We'd bettered get out. Mr. Van Stattten's disappeared. They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement, like it never existed," Adam said nervously.

"Good," Freya murmured and the Doctor nodded along with her.

"I'll have to go back home," Adam said sadly.

"Bettered hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at fifteen hundred hours," the Doctor said flippantly. Adam shot her a look, one of which she tried to ignore.

"But where are you going? How are you leaving?" Adam asked anxiously.

"You're not coming with us," the Doctor told him.

"It's a spaceship, isn't it? Please! I've always wanted to see the stars! Just one trip! I won't be a bother!" Adam promised.

"Go step outside then," the Doctor told him.

"Just one trip," Adam begged once more.

"You left her down there," the Doctor accused. Freya shook her head quickly.

"Don't use me as an excuse. He would have died if he hadn't made it out," Freya pointed out.

"I don't know. He's a bit pretty," the Doctor said with a sideways glance at Adam. Adam looked slightly proud of the comment but wisely said nothing.

"I don't like him. I just don't want to be the excuse you don't let someone come with us," Freya told him, wrapping an arm around her stomach absently. The Doctor sighed and turned to Adam.

"Fine. You can have one trip, if and only if Freya's cousin decides she wants to come with us. I don't want to deal with you alone with Freya and me. And you'll leave Freya alone," the Doctor warned him.

"She already told me you two were engaged," Adam huffed. The Doctor's eyebrows shot up and he turned to Freya questioningly. She tugged on the necklace, causing him to nod.

"Yes. Engaged. Glad you know it," the Doctor said before turning on his heel and making his way into the TARDIS. Freya followed him instantly. Adam ran in right after Freya, glancing around in shock.

"Right! Back to 2006 to get your cousin!" the Doctor said, rushing around the console. When it landed, they were inside the Tyler Flat. In the kitchen. With a very cross Jackie waiting for them. The Doctor stepped out and immediately stepped right back inside. He shot Freya a sheepish look.

"You can ask. Jackie's out there," the Doctor said. Freya's eyebrows shot up.

"You're scared of Rose's mum?" Freya asked the Doctor in disbelief.

"Oi! I'm not scared! I just don't wanna get slapped again!" the Doctor said indignantly. Freya sighed and stepped outside, only to be bombarded by both Rose and Jackie. The two of them wrapped their arms around Freya tightly.

"The Doctor wanted to know if you wanted to go on a quick trip with us. We have a boy aboard and the Doctor won't take him anywhere without someone else," Freya asked.

"One trip?" Jackie asked, staring at her. Freya nodded.

"One trip," Freya responded.

"If he returns her more than a day late, I'll skin him," Jackie said, making sure she shouted the last part into the TARDIS so the Doctor would hear it.

"Tell Marie I said hi!" Freya told Jackie and she nodded as Rose followed Freya inside the TARDIS.

"Fantastic! Let's go!" the Doctor shouted as soon as the door was closed.

This time, when the TARDIS landed, Freya felt uneasy. Just as she had when they'd landed at the Alien Museum. The Doctor headed for the door, taking Adam and Rose out with him. Freya remained where she was.

A few minutes later, the Doctor returned.

"Oi! Ya coming?" he asked her. Freya shook her head, causing a frown to form on the Doctor's face.

"Why not?" the Doctor asked her.

"I don't…I have a bad feeling. And I'm a little tired. I was wondering if I could stay here. Take a shower, maybe read," Freya suggested, biting her lip.

"Of course. I didn't think about you being tired," the Doctor said, his own eyes wide.

"It's okay," Freya reassured him. He hesitated once more before finally leaving the TARDIS.

Once he was gone, Freya did as she said she would. She took a nice warm shower and settled down in the library to read a book. She found that his library was quite extensive. So extensive, in fact, that she found a few sequels that had yet to be released. She settled down on the couch and read, losing herself in the book.

When she looked up, there was a pool in the center of the library and she was surrounded by the warm particles.

"Why is there a pool here?" Freya asked suspiciously, only to hear the TARDIS's laughter in her head.

"I could ask the same thing," the Doctor's voice came from the doorway. The gold particles faded quickly, and from the Doctor's expression, he hadn't seen them.

"I was reading and when I looked up, it was there. I think the TARDIS was bored," Freya guessed.

"It wouldn't be the first time. Did you get any rest?" the Doctor asked her. Freya yawned as she placed a bookmark in the book she'd been reading.

"Not really. But I found a great book. How was the adventure?" Freya asked. The Doctor's expression momentarily darkened.

"You were right. Humanity had been set back about a hundred years. We had to correct it. We actually just dumped Adam off at his house. He ended up getting some surgery done to his head and almost getting us all killed," the Doctor said angrily.

"But you're okay now, and he's gone?" Freya asked. The Doctor nodded, moving towards her as she yawned once more.

"Yeah. How about you get some sleep? It's been a long day for you. We'll take Rose back tomorrow," the Doctor told her. Freya nodded, allowing him to help her up and to her room. Surprisingly, her room ended up being right next to the library. She knew it was the TARDIS being helpful, because before it would take her a few minutes to make it to the library in the off chance she had some time to read.

The Doctor helped her into bed and gave her the lightest kiss on the forehead before making his way back to the door. The feeling was phenomenal. Her second kiss ever.

"Good night," he said quietly as he turned off the light.

And Freya had no nightmares that night. The TARDIS barely even had to allow gold particles to keep the nightmares away.

**What do you all think? Yes, I know I just skipped Long Game. I don't like that episode, and this is important in its own way. Let me know what you think! :)**


	7. Father's Day

**Next chapter! Y'all should be excited! There's a lot going on here! ;) And please review...having a hard time keeping up with the writing and I'm only three chapters ahead now...could use some support? :)**

Chapter 7: Father's Day

Freya woke up feeling much more rested than she had in ages. Even more so than she had since coming aboard the TARDIS. And the gold particles were substantially less than they had been when she'd first arrived.

She slowly made her way to the console room, not even bothering to change. When she entered, Rose was talking to the Doctor intently.

"That's what Mum always says. So I was thinking….could we…could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?" Rose asked, biting her lip.

"We promised Jackie it'd only be one trip," the Doctor told her sternly, but Rose shook her head.

"We would still get back about the same time. She wouldn't know the difference," Rose argued.

"Where's this coming from, all of a sudden?" the Doctor asked, relatively suspicious. Rose sighed, turning away from him.

"All right then. If we can't, if it goes against the laws of time or something, then never mind. Just leave it," Rose said, glancing over at Freya with such heartbreak that Rose winced under the weight of her stare. Her pleading stare.

The Doctor looked up at Freya as well. Both sets of eyes were on her.

"What do you think?" the Doctor asked Freya curiously. Freya shook her head, staring at the two of them.

"You did take me back to see my parents. Well, my grandmother, but you did take me back," Freya admitted slowly, biting her lip nervously at her words.

"You just want to see him?" the Doctor asked Rose for clarification. Rose spun around and nodded quickly. The Doctor sighed and moved towards the console.

"Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for," he warned her.

"I'm going to go change," Freya murmured, noticing how intently Rose was watching the Doctor. She made her way back to her room as the TARDIS landed. The TARDIS led her around in the wardrobe a few times before giving her an outfit to wear. By the time she was finally dressed, it had been quite awhile. She returned to her bedroom to see a charm bracelet lying on the small table next to her bed. She was certain it hadn't been there before.

_It's a present._

Freya smiled at it, picking the charm bracelet up and cradling it. It was warm and golden, just like the particles. She put it on, surprised at the instant warmth that filled her.

_It'll keep you warm, even when you're not here. Until it's needed to do something else._

The TARDIS's voice sounded rather teasing with that last statement. Freya shook her head, allowing a rueful smile onto her lips. She had no clue what that was supposed to mean.

She made her way to the console room, noting that both the Doctor and Rose looked grim.

"What happened?" Freya asked with a frown. Rose turned to her and immediately threw herself at Freya, hugging her tightly.

"I saw my dad. I wanted to hold his hand as he died. But I couldn't. The Doctor said he'd give me another chance," Rose explained. Freya glanced up at the Doctor, noting the apprehension that seemed to be rolling off of him.

He left the console and opened the doors.

"It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don't see us. Wait til she runs off and he follows, then go to your dad," the Doctor said as he pulled Freya and Rose to the edge of a building. Freya peeked around the corner, shocked to see the Doctor and Rose standing there by the street.

A car pulled up and parked along the curb.

"I can't do this," Rose murmured.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but this is the last time we can be here," the Doctor told her sternly. Rose broke away from the Doctor and Freya and took off running.

"No!" the Doctor shouted at her. Rose dashed out into the road, knocking who Freya assumed was her father out of the way of an oncoming beige car. A vase rolled away from the two of them without breaking and the other versions of the Doctor and Rose vanished.

"I did it! I saved your life!" Rose exclaimed, staring down at the man who had to be her father.

"Blimey, did you see the speed of it? Did you get his number?" her father asked, glancing around to try to spot the car.

"I really did it. Oh my God, look at you. You're alive! That car was going to kill you!" Rose continued. Freya looked back up at the Doctor, wincing at the absolute fury that was rolling off of him. She reached out and gripped his hand tightly, wincing as he responded with an even tighter grip.

"Yeah," Rose was saying. Freya glanced back at the two of them. Rose's father was staring at the Doctor and Freya.

"Do you and your friends need a ride?" he asked. Rose nodded eagerly. The Doctor angrily stalked towards the car, dragging Freya along behind him. The two of them crawled into the back of the car, him never releasing her hand from his iron grip as he glared at the back of Rose's head.

"Actually, Freya's my cousin," Rose said cautiously as she got into the car.

"No kidding? I have a niece named Freya. How ironic," Rose's father said. He glanced back at Freya and the Doctor, jumping at the fury in the Doctor's eyes.

"I'm Pete Tyler. It's nice to meet you, Freya, and you, er," he told them. Freya forced a smile onto her lips.

"He's my fiancé. John Smith," Freya lied smoothly.

"Generic name," Pete retorted. Freya only shrugged, trying to discretely loosen the Doctor's grip on her hand. It didn't work.

By the time they got to Pete's flat, he had given up on trying to keep a conversation going that included Freya and the Doctor.

"Right, there we go. Sorry about the mess. If you want a cup of tea, the kitchen's just down there, milk's in the fridge. Well, it would be, wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there's always the windowsill outside. I always thought if someone invented a windowsill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yogurt, make a lot of money out of that. Sell it to students and things. I should write that down. Anyway, never mind that, excuse me for a moment. Got to go change," Pete finished awkwardly, heading into his bedroom. Rose started walking around, examining everything.

"All the stuff Mum kept. His stuff. She kept it al packed away in boxes in the cupboard. She used to show me when she'd had a bit to drink. Here it is, on display, where it should be," she paused, lifting a trophy up.

"Third prize at the bowling. First two got to go to Didcot. Health drinks. Tonics, Mum used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He was so clever. Oh! Solar power. Mum said he was going to do this. Now he can," Rose stopped, turning to face Freya and the Doctor.

"When we met, I said travel with me in space. You said no. Then I said time machine," the Doctor said slowly.

"It wasn't some big plan. I just saw it happening and I thought, I can stop it. After all, you changed Freya's life," Rose shot at him. The Doctor ignored her jibe.

"I did it again. I picked another stupid ape. I should've known. It's not about showing you the universe. If it was, you would've stayed like Freya did. It's about the universe doing something for you," the Doctor said angrily. Rose's eyes widened in anger.

"So it's okay when you go to other times and save peoples' lives, but not when it's me saving my dad?" Rose questioned him.

"I know what I'm doing. You don't. Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point," the Doctor told her harshly.

"But he's alive!" Rose argued.

"My entire planet died. My whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?" the Doctor asked her incredulously.

"But it's not like I've changed history. Not much. I mean, he's never going to be a world leader. He's not going to start World War Three or anything," Rose pointed out.

"Rose, there's a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive," the Doctor told her seriously.

"What, would you rather him be dead?" Rose asked, her voice cold.

"I'm not saying that," the Doctor backtracked. Rose shook her head angrily at him.

"No! I get it. For once, someone cares about someone else other than you! If it were Freya, you wouldn't have said anything!" Rose countered.

"Fine. If I'm that unimportant, we'll leave you here with your dad," the Doctor told her. Rose crossed her arms.

"Fine. Do it," Rose told him.

"After all, you've got what you wanted. That's goodbye then," the Doctor told her, spinning abruptly. His grip on Freya dragged her along behind him.

"You don't scare me! You wouldn't leave me here. Freya wouldn't let you! You'll be back in a minute, or you'll hang around outside the TARDIS waiting for me. And I'll make you wait a long time!" Rose shouted after them. The Doctor was all but running angrily down the stairs, dragging Freya along behind him. He got out of the building and was halfway down the street when Freya fell.

The movement stopped the Doctor abruptly. He turned, pulling her to her feet using their still-interlocked hands.

"Did you know this would happen? Were you part of her scheme?" the Doctor asked her angrily. Freya shook her head quickly, surprised.

"Do you plan on trying this to? Bringing back someone else that should be dead? Should I just leave you here too?" the Doctor asked scathingly. Freya shook her head once more, trying to keep her tears down.

"Everyone around me who died died for a reason. I couldn't bring any of them back without changing who I am. They all have to stay dead," Freya said, her voice quivering. The Doctor's expression softened slightly at her words.

"Why do you want to stay with me?" he asked her seriously.

"I feel safe with you," Freya admitted, the honesty in her words nearly blinding. The Doctor's entire expression shattered at her words and he pulled her into a tight hug, hugging her as if she was the last lifejacket on the Titanic.

After a few minutes of the hug that nearly kept Freya from breathing, the Doctor pulled back, smiling at her. He went to take her hand and frowned. Freya glanced down at her hand, confused.

It looked bruised.

It was the hand he'd been gripping.

"Maybe you should hold the other hand?" Freya suggested quietly. The Doctor's eyes found hers, his expression filled with pain once more.

"Come on," he said abruptly, shoving his hands into his pockets. Freya's spirits fell at the movement and she buried her own hands in her pockets. He started walking again, but much to Freya's relief, he'd slowed down. Freya jumped, feeling as if someone – or something - was watching her.

"Something's wrong," Freya murmured. The Doctor glanced back at her for a moment before tentatively looping his arm through hers. They approached the TARDIS and Freya couldn't help but shiver. Something was horribly wrong.

The Doctor released her to unlock the TARDIS. He glanced over his shoulder suspiciously, as if unsure as to what he was feeling.

But when he pushed the TARDIS open, Freya realized what was wrong.

The TARDIS was gone.

The interior was that of an ordinary 1960s Police Call Box. All wood. The Doctor shoved his way inside, hitting on the walls frantically.

"Rose!" the Doctor exclaimed in horror, pushing himself out of the box. He grabbed Freya's arm and took off running once more, dragging Freya behind him. Freya focused on not tripping, trying to ignore the painful feeling of someone watching her every move. They approached a church that had many people milling about outside.

Freya's eyes widened as she spotted Rose.

"ROSE! Get in the church!" the Doctor shouted. Rose turned and smiled at him before the smile melted off her face.

A creature appeared in the sky, hovering near where Rose was standing. The Doctor released her arm, running ahead of her. The creature was massive and had bat-like wings. Its eyes were red. It lunged at Rose, but the Doctor was able to push her to the ground just before the thing would have grabbed her. The Doctor quickly turned just as Freya collided with him.

"Get in the church!" the Doctor ordered, shouting loud enough that everyone could hear him. Two more of the creatures appeared in the sky.

Freya and Rose were shoved towards the church as the Doctor tried corralling everyone else towards the church. They made it inside and a few minutes later, others poured in. The Doctor was the last one in, locking the doors quickly behind him. Freya glanced out the window to see that there more of them now, more of them flying around.

"They can't get in. Old windows and doors. Okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else? Go and check the other doors! Move!" the Doctor ordered the guests. Freya threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back just as tightly.

"What's happening? What are they?" Jackie's voice asked. Jackie? Oh. Jackie would be at a wedding Rose's dad was going to.

"There's been an accident in time. A wound in time. They're like bacteria, taking advantage," the Doctor said grimly.

"What do you mean, time? What're you jabbering on about, time?" Jackie asked in disbelief. Freya slowly pulled away from the Doctor, feeling better knowing he was there, that he hadn't ended up getting himself killed trying to save everyone else.

"Oh, I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining," the Doctor said, irritated. Jackie's eyes widened at his words.

"How do you know my name?" she asked him suspiciously.

"I haven't got time for this," the Doctor muttered angrily to himself. Freya took his hand and gripped it tightly, hoping he would calm down a bit.

"I've never met you in my life!" Jackie exclaimed.

"No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don't mind, I've waited a long time to say this. Jackie Tyler, do as I say! Go and check the doors!" the Doctor shouted at her. Jackie looked quite reprimanded and she nodded quickly.

"Yes, sir," she said, scampering away like a puppy.

"I should have done that years ago," the Doctor said to Freya, an almost grin on his face.

The groom approached Freya and the Doctor, looking rather distraught.

"My dad was out there," the groom told them.

"You can mourn him later. Right now, we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive," the Doctor told him sternly.

"My dad had –," the groom began, only for the Doctor to cut him off.

"There's nothing I can do for him," the Doctor repeated his other words with a harsher tone.

"No, but he had this phone thing. I can't get it to work. I keep getting this voice," the groom said, handing the phone to the Doctor.

"_Watson, come here. I need you. Watson, come here. I need you."_ The voice kept repeating. The Doctor handed the phone back to the groom.

"That's the very first phone call. Alexander Graham Bell. I don't think the telephone's going to be much use," the Doctor said drily.

"But someone must call the police," the groom argued.

"What's stopping those things from getting the police?" Freya asked the groom. The groom's face paled.

"Police can't help you now. No one can. Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilize the wound. By consuming everything inside," the Doctor told him grimly, his voice carrying. Rose looked up, eyes wide in horror.

"Is this because…? Is this my fault?" Rose asked, her voice small.

But the Doctor wouldn't even look at her.

The Doctor pulled Freya with him to check the doors. Rose's father followed them as the Doctor kicked a door, checking to make sure it was going to hold.

"There's smoke coming up from the city but no sirens. I don't think it's just us. I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world," Rose's father said. Freya glanced out the window, noticing the smoke he'd been talking about. A beige car appeared at the corner, driving recklessly around the turn before vanishing once more.

Freya took a step back, alarmed.

"Was that a car?" Rose's father asked, having noticed it as well.

"It's not important. Don't worry about it," the Doctor said, pulling Freya along behind him and away from Rose's father.

He pulled them into another room, one without anyone inside. The Doctor checked that door as well before turning to Freya, a haunted look in his eyes.

"You don't have a way out," Freya stated. The Doctor swallowed and shook his head.

"Not even one that would kill me?" Freya tried joking, but the joke fell short. The Doctor pulled her to him in another hug.

"I've gotten more hugs from you since I've met you than I have in my entire life," Freya murmured into his shirt. The Doctor's arms tightened around her once more.

"More hugs and more kisses," she added, more of a musing to herself. The Doctor pulled back this time, staring down at her.

"More kisses?" he asked her in confusion. Freya blushed at his expression but nodded anyway.

"You've kissed me on the forehead twice. That's two times more than I've ever been kissed before," Freya admitted shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You'd never been kissed before? Not on the forehead, on the cheek, not even the hand? What about your parents? Did they never give you a kiss goodnight?" the Doctor asked her in alarm. Freya shook her head.

"They never touched me. Never hugged me, never kissed me, never told me goodnight," Freya told him, trying to push back the sadness that threatened to overwhelm her at the thought.

The Doctor stared down at her, an intense look on his face. Freya considered pulling away, wishing she'd never said anything.

"I can't have you dying without having been properly kissed," the Doctor finally said, staring at her.

"Then I guess you can't let me die," Freya joked, hoping the subject would get changed. When she looked back up at the Doctor, she could tell he wasn't joking.

He was absolutely serious.

He tightened his arms around her and pulled her to him, only this he was watching her, not allowing her to bury her face in his shirt. Freya's eyes went wide as his head lowered to hers. Her eyes closed automatically.

She felt just the faintest pressure on her lips, almost tentative. She hesitantly pressed her lips back against his, surprised at just how warm it made her feel all over.

He pulled back after a moment, his eyes finding hers instantly. Begging her to understand.

And it clicked.

He didn't have a way out. Not only did he not have a way out, but he was planning on them dying. Freya nodded, still staring at him.

"Thank you," Freya whispered. There was a crash behind them, causing the two to break apart. Both spun around to see a little girl with wild brown hair on the ground, a chair having fallen over as well. Freya rushed forward, as did the Doctor. The Doctor reached her first, helping the child up. The child stared at his hand on her, eyes wide.

Freya's own eyes widened and she took a step back. The Doctor glanced back at her before looking at the child.

"What's your name?" the Doctor asked the little girl. She was still staring at the hand on her.

"Freya. What are you doing?" she asked, staring at his hand still. The Doctor's eyes landed on Freya, who nodded.

"Don't touch her. If you touch her, it could let those things in," the Doctor told Freya quietly before turning back to younger Freya.

"I'm helping you up," the Doctor said, puzzled. He glanced back at Freya, who moved closer but still within a good distance of the child.

"But your hand's on me?" she asked, tilting her head. The Doctor jerked his hand back quickly, still watching the child. Her expression faded slightly at his removal.

"That's what happens when people help you up," the Doctor told her, still seeming very confused.

"No one ever puts their hands on me," she said. The Doctor spun to look at Freya.

"No one ever touched you as a child?" he asked her in disbelief. Freya didn't answer, merely stared at the child.

"What were you doing?" the child asked him once more. The Doctor turned his head quickly, just in time to see the child flinch.

"She thinks you'll hit her for asking a question. It happened before," Freya said softly.

"I won't hit you. What was I doing when?" the Doctor asked the child curiously.

"You touched her. And…bit her?" the child asked in confusion. The Doctor's eyebrows shot up, as did Freya's.

And her eyes went wide.

Because she remembered this happening.

"No. I was hugging her. And I kissed her," the Doctor explained to the child.

"Hugging? Kissed?" the child repeated, testing the words carefully. The Doctor's heart shattered at the words. He shot another look at Freya, a pitying look. Freya pretended to ignore it.

"Yes. A hug is when you wrap your arms around someone. And a kiss is when you push your lips against someone else. Or something else," the Doctor tried explaining.

"Why?" the child asked. The Doctor shot a helpless look at Freya, who knew exactly what needed to be said. She moved closer, gripping the Doctor as she did to keep from accidentally touching herself.

"It shows that you love someone. Or care about them a whole lot. Because that's what love is," Freya explained in the simplest terms. The child looked utterly puzzled but nodded nonetheless.

"Where are your parents?" Freya asked the child, not because she was curious but because she remembered being asked that.

"I don't know," the child said, sucking her thumb. She stopped and pulled it back quickly, wiping it on her shirt, eyes wide as they stared at Freya and the Doctor.

"We won't tell. Pick her up," Freya told the Doctor. She moved away from him as he did. He placed the child on his hip.

"I remember all of this happening. We need to find her parents and let what happens happen," Freya told the Doctor quietly. He started leading them away.

"You remember all of this? How old were you?" the Doctor asked her.

"About two and a half. I think. I remember being at a wedding. Getting lost. Finding two people. Learning what a hug, a kiss, love was. And I remember what's going to happen," Freya admitted sadly.

"In general?" the Doctor asked almost excitedly, but Freya shook her head.

"No. To little me," she said. They entered the main room, where everyone was waiting.

"Over there," Freya said, pointing towards a couple sitting a ways from everyone else. The Doctor and Freya took little Freya to them. The Doctor sat her on the ground near her parents and watched as the child ran up to her parents and instantly tried to hug them.

Freya hid her face, not wanting to see what happens. It hurt enough the first time around. But she could still hear the slap. The Doctor started to move but Freya stopped him.

"It has to happen," Freya told him thickly.

The Doctor stared in disbelief as the parents lectured their child for trying to hug them. Neither looked a bit remorseful for having just slapped their child. Little Freya was then ordered to sit in the pew behind them on her own.

Little Freya sat down, alone, tears filling her eyes, murmuring to herself. He could read her lips even though he couldn't hear her.

"_My parents don't love me."_

The Doctor stared down at Freya.

"You said that had to happen. Why?" the Doctor asked her.

"You can't mess with history. That's my history. It shaped who I am. It was another big moment in my life," Freya admitted.

The Doctor looked as if he wanted to say something else but stopped when he heard what sounded like someone beating on one of the side doors near them. He took off towards it, his hand sliding down to take Freya's hand in a much gentler grip than earlier. He pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket as he stopped at the door. He pulled it out and started…sonicking?...the door.

"Excuse me, Mister," the groom asked, catching up with them.

"Doctor," the Doctor corrected absently.

"You seem to know what's going on," the groom said once more. The Doctor nodded.

"I give that impression, yeah," he said, still not looking up.

"I just wanted to ask," the man started, but the bride interrupted him.

"Can you save us?" she asked, her voice full of desperation and worry.

The Doctor stopped and put his sonic screwdriver away, turning to face the bride and groom. Freya turned as well. The couple looked familiar.

"Who are you two, then?" the Doctor asked them.

"Stuart Hoskins," the groom said.

"Sarah Clark," the bride said. Freya's eyes widened. She did know them. The Hoskins! She felt queasy at the thought. She knew them. And she knew their son.

"And one extra. Boy or girl?" the Doctor asked, glancing at Sarah's stomach.

"Boy. A beautiful baby boy," Freya breathed. Both stared at her in shock and confusion. The Doctor shot her a glance before turning back to the couple.

"How did all this get started?" the Doctor asked them, sounding truly interested to hear their story. The groom smiled at his bride, taking her hand.

"Outside the Beatbox Club, two in the morning," Stuart said lovingly.

"Street corner. I'd lost my purse, didn't have money for a taxi," Sarah continued.

"I took her home," Stuart explained fondly.

"Then what? Asked her for a date?" the Doctor asked expectantly.

"Wrote his number on the back of my hand," Sarah explained.

"Never got rid of her since. My dad said…." Stuart drifted off sadly.

"I don't know what this is all about, and I know we're not important…" Sarah started, but the Doctor cut her off.

'Who says you're not important? I've travelled to all sorts of places, done things you couldn't imagine, but you two? Street corner, two in the morning, getting a taxi home. I've never had a life like that. Yes. I'll try and save you," the Doctor told them before grabbing Freya's hand and dragging her away.

Freya remembered hearing that story. She remembered their son telling her that story in that smoky room as she tried to calm the boy. She still heard the story sometimes in her nightmares, their son's voice wafting through the smoke and flames.

She shook her head quickly, trying to get rid of the thought. If they didn't fix this, their son would never be born.

When they entered the main area, Jackie nearly bombarded them with baby Rose.

"I have to find my husband. Can you watch her for me?" Jackie asked. She didn't even wait for an answer before taking off, leaving Rose with them. The Doctor, startled, sat down next to the baby carrier, glancing down at the child. Freya started to sit next to him but was pulled away.

Freya was shocked to see Sarah, the bride, pulling her away. She pulled Freya until they were out of the main area, more or less secluded.

"You said I was going to have a boy," Sarah stated, staring at her. Freya's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything," Freya apologized quickly. Sarah shook her head.

"No. You…you know stuff. Stuart said you were probably psychic, but I don't believe in that kind of thing. But I do believe there's something different about you," Sarah said, staring at her. Freya didn't know what to say. She knew better than to start spouting things about the future. And she doubted Sarah would believe what she'd said.

"I don't want to know how you know it. But I want to know something. You mentioned my baby. And you acted familiar with that concept," Sarah said. Her eyes drifted past Freya. Freya turned to see that Sarah's eyes had landed on Freya's younger self.

"You're from the future. Your little Freya, all grown up," Sarah said in disbelief. Freya kept her mouth shut, not knowing what to say.

"So you meet my baby. You grow up with my baby. My baby lives," Sarah gasped in disbelief. Freya didn't say anything. That didn't mean anything. Sarah's baby could still die. But Freya wasn't going to say that. She didn't want to tear down the woman's hopes.

"What's he like? I don't want his name. But what's my baby like when you know him?" Sarah begged. Freya hesitated once more, not sure what to say.

She knew she couldn't say that Sarah's baby died when he was six years old in a fire.

"Your baby will be wonderful," Freya started. She stared at Sarah for a moment before taking in a deep breath.

"He'll be incredibly brave. The bravest person I ever met. He knows the story of how you and Stuart met. And he tells it. When he's scared, he'll tell that story as a distraction. And he never gives up," Freya told the woman. Sarah's eyes filled with tears and she threw herself at Freya, hugging her tightly. Freya glanced over the woman's shoulders to see Rose hugging the Doctor as well. Only Rose jumped back. The Doctor pulled something from his pocket and dropped it, as if it were on fire. He bent down and picked it up using the corner of his jacket.

His eyes met hers across the room and Freya was shocked to see absolute excitement brimming in them. He took off running for the high part of the front of the church. Freya pulled back, moving towards the Doctor automatically.

"The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound but we can use this to bring it back. And once I've got my ship back, then I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?" the Doctor asked loudly, eyes scanning the room. Stuart picked up his father's phone, holding it up.

"This one big enough?" he asked the Doctor. The Doctor nodded excitedly, reaching for it.

"Fantastic," the Doctor said.

"Good old Dad. There you go," Stuart said, handing the Doctor the phone.

"Just need to do a bit of charging up and then we can bring everyone back," the Doctor said excitedly. He glanced up at Freya, his face still beaming. He held the key midair and slowly, Freya could make out the form of the TARDIS starting to materialize around the key.

"Right! No one touches that key. Have you got that? Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, it'll be, well, zap! Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. All of us. Stuart, Sarah, you're going to get married, just like I said," the Doctor said, grinning at the couple. Sarah had moved from Freya's side to her soon-to-be husband's side and embraced him tightly.

"What did you tell her?" the Doctor asked Freya quietly. Freya shook her head.

"She was asking about her baby. She deduced that I was future Freya and wanted to know what her baby was like," Freya admitted.

"And you told her?" the Doctor asked sharply.

"I told her truthful things. About how brave he was. I made sure I didn't say anything about his future," Freya told him quietly.

"You said he was brave. What happened to him?" the Doctor asked her curiously.

"He dies. In a fire. When he's six," Freya said shortly, turning around to hide the tears that threatened to well in her eyes.

"That's still over six years from now. Right now he's alive. Calm down," the Doctor said soothingly, pulling Freya into a hug.

When the Doctor finally released her, Rose was standing there awkwardly.

"When time gets sorted out…" Rose drifted off, waiting for an answer.

"Everybody here forgets what happened. And don't worry, the thing that you changed will stay changed," the Doctor told her, glancing over at her father.

"You mean I'll still be alive, though I'm meant to be dead. That's why I haven't done anything with my life, why I didn't mean anything," Rose's father said from where he was sitting.

"It doesn't work like that," the Doctor said sharply.

"Rubbish. I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly. Now it's my fault all of this has happened," Rose's father said angrily.

Freya quickly moved away from them, not wanting to get caught up in the middle of the argument.

Her eyes quickly saw something they shouldn't.

Little Freya. On the top of the railing, looking down.

If she fell from that height, she'd die.

She glanced back at Rose and them only to see Rose's father taking the baby from Jackie's hands. Freya ran forward, tripping right into Rose and knocking her over.

"Don't touch the baby!" Freya cried. She glanced back up at Rose's father, whose eyes were wide. Freya quickly got to her feet, turning back to see her younger self.

Freya distantly remembered this as well. She remembered nearly falling off of a high floor in a church. And wanting to fall. To see if she could feel pain, since she couldn't feel happiness. It was such an odd thing for a two year old to think of. Freya had always assumed it was a dream.

But it wasn't. Freya threw herself towards where her younger self was.

"Doctor!" Freya shouted. She couldn't catch herself. It would let the creatures in. The Doctor had to catch her.

But if he didn't catch her, she'd die. Freya pushed herself harder, just as she watched little Freya fall.

"Freya, don't!" the Doctor shouted, but it was too late. Freya wasn't going to let herself get killed. She caught her younger self, quickly setting her down. The Doctor was still across the church from her. And in the middle of the church, one of the creatures was appearing.

Appearing much closer to her than it was the rest of the people.

"Run! Get to that man!" Freya ordered her younger self. The child managed to get to her feet and run as fast as her stubby legs would take her.

But the creature spotted her.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Freya shouted the moment the creature started to descend on the child. The Doctor's eyes were wide across the church from her. Freya ran forward, noting that the creature seemed to follow her with his eyes.

It ignored her younger self and dove straight for her. Its talons ripped into her skin as its wings surrounded her.

The last thing she saw was its red eyes burning through her.

Her head spun as she sat up. She was lying in the middle of the aisle in the church. She sat up slowly, making her way out of the church. Everyone was standing outside. And Rose was in the middle of the road, holding her father's hand as he died. A hand landed on her shoulder, making Freya jump. She spun around to see the Doctor.

"Don't ever do that again," he ordered her before pulling her to him in another bonecrushing hug. She ignored her headache.

"What happened?" Freya asked him.

"He saved everyone by allowing the car to hit him like what was supposed to happen," the Doctor explained. He pulled back, still keeping her securely in his arms.

"Why didn't you say anything? You saw her. Your younger self. Yet you ran the other way. If you'd said something, I could have caught her," the Doctor said.

"Rose was about to touch herself. I didn't know if you'd told her she couldn't. I had to stop it. But I had to save myself too. If I'd fallen, it've killed me. That's why I shouted for you. But you were too far away," Freya explained. The Doctor shook his head, still staring down at her.

"What you did was what inspired Pete to do it. He saw how selfless you were and decided it was his turn to be selfless," the Doctor told her.

"You said everyone would forget what happened," Freya said, suddenly frowning. That made no sense. The Doctor frowned as well.

"Yes. They did. Why?" the Doctor asked her.

"I didn't forget. I still remember it. That conversation with me and you. And falling. And why I was up there to begin with," Freya said with a frown.

"You still remember it? Did you remember our faces?" the Doctor asked, instantly alarmed. Freya shook her head.

"I never remembered the faces. I just remembered the words," Freya confused. The Doctor beamed at this.

"Fantastic! Now, let's go get your cousin so we can take her home," the Doctor said.

"Take her home?" Freya asked in confusion.

"Yeah. She was only coming for one trip. And then this happened. I'd rather not have her on my TARDIS for awhile, thank you very much," the Doctor said as he dragged Freya behind him to meet up with Rose.

"Ready to go?" the Doctor asked her. Rose wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded.

"I'm ready to go home," she whispered. The Doctor walked the two of them back to the TARDIS, the complete and normal TARDIS, and they took off. The moment it had started moving, Rose turned to Freya.

"I'm so so sorry!" Rose apologized. Freya shook her head quickly.

"No! Don't say it's okay. It isn't. You got that bad feeling, and then this happened. This was all my fault. If we'd just listened to your feeling, it'd have been fine," Rose said.

"Yeah. It would have," the Doctor added in his own words.

"It's fine. Everything's fine," Freya dismissed once more as the Doctor headed over to the doors. He threw the doors open, only to get smacked in the face by Jackie.

"You're three days late!" Jackie exploded on him. The Doctor stood up, holding his cheek as he stared at Jackie in disbelief.

"I get a slap for three days?!" the Doctor asked in disbelief. Freya couldn't hold back a giggle at the sight of it.

"Yes. I said a day. ONE DAY! Not four! Now get outta my kitchen before I slap ya again!" Jackie told him angrily as she stormed out of the TARDIS. Rose offered Freya one more smile before following her mother out.

The Doctor ran to the console and pushed buttons quickly.

"Right! Let's get out of here. Now!" he said. The TARDIS took off again. When he had stopped flitting around, the Doctor came back over to Freya.

"Where'd you get that bracelet?" he asked suddenly, reaching for her hand.

"The TARDIS gave it to me. You and her seem keen on giving me jewelry," Freya said with a tiny smile.

"Odd bracelet. Can't sense what it's made of. Come on, old girl, why're you blocking me from it?" the Doctor asked, aiming his voice towards the ceiling in exasperation. The TARDIS's laughter echoed in Freya's head.

The Doctor shared a grin with Freya before shaking his head. And then his expression got serious.

"Look, about earlier. When I…kissed you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overstep any boundaries," the Doctor apologized quickly.

Freya's stomach dropped at his words. She immediately ignored it.

"It's okay. You were being helpful. You really thought we were going to die. I can't fault you," Freya told him. The Doctor shook his head.

"But I didn't give you a chance to protest or anything! You didn't have a say in the matter! You should always have a say!" the Doctor pointed out.

"If I didn't like it, I would have found some way to let you know," Freya told him gently. The Doctor stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"You told Pete we were engaged. Third time you've said we were engaged," the Doctor told her with a teasing grin on his face.

"The first time was to keep you out of prison, remember?" Freya pointed out.

"Yes, and it worked. Good thinking on the spot, by the way. Never thanked you for it," the Doctor told her. Freya nodded.

"The second time, Adam was looking at me weird. I didn't like it. So I figured he'd stop if I told him I was engaged. And it worked," Freya pointed out.

"He was looking at you weird?" the Doctor asked in confusion. Freya nodded.

"He was! And he kept saying these weird things to me. I didn't like it," Freya said firmly.

"He was probably flirting with you," the Doctor teased, but Freya could see there was something else in his expression that she didn't like. Didn't recognize.

"That was flirting?" Freya asked, aghast.

"Not very good flirting, I'm sure. I saw him flirting with Rose on Satellite Five. I guess that was acceptable too. And what about back there? What was your reasoning back there?" the Doctor asked. Freya shrugged helplessly.

"I didn't know what to say. I figured introducing a fiancé named John Smith was better than introducing a random friend with a generic name," Freya told him. His grin remained.

Until he looked down at her hands.

Freya glanced down as well. The hand he'd been holding earlier, when he was mad, was extremely bruised.

"I did that," he said blankly, staring at her hand.

"I bruise easily," Freya said quickly. The Doctor stood abruptly, moving away from her.

"I hurt you! I am hurting you! All I do is hurt you! And you still want to stay! Why?" the Doctor asked, spinning on her. His expression was haunted, so haunted.

"Everyone hurts people," Freya said, but he just shook his head.

"I might've broken bones in your hand if I didn't stop when I did. Would you still be forgiving of me if that had happened?" he asked her scathingly. Freya nodded, moving towards him as quickly as she dared.

"Yes. Because I trust you. I trust you completely. I trust you'll make mistakes. You'll screw up. But you fix it. And you fix it beautifully. Everyone messes up. Not everyone can fix what they break like you can though," Freya told him, words spilling from her lips before she could process what she was saying. The Doctor stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"Right. Fancy a vacation trip?" the Doctor asked her.

"Wasn't that what Woman Wept was?" Freya asked. The Doctor's expression morphed into one of disdain.

"Or you can read in the library for awhile and I'll just work on the TARDIS. Give us a bit of a break," he suggested. Freya nodded and turned to leave. Before she had taken but one step, the Doctor had grabbed her hand and pulled her back. When she turned around, his lips hit hers. It wasn't as gentle as before, but it still wasn't aggressive. It was still just the lightest of touches. And it sent a shiver down her spine.

"There. A proper kiss for ya. Now you can save you've been properly kissed, and not just because you were about to die," the Doctor said, smiling as he spun around.

But Freya could detect the slightest pink tinge to his ears.

She walked back to the library, a smile on her face as the gold particles led the way.

Freya pushed the door open to the library, only for her eyes to widen.

There was a man there. Or a woman. Someone wearing a cloak. They spun around, but she still couldn't see their face. A book was in their hands.

"Oops," the man – it was a man, she could tell – murmured as he shoved the book onto the shelf and pushed a button on his wrist.

And he vanished. Freya rushed for the book, pulling it from the shelf.

The cover very simply said her name on it. Freya hesitated before opening it.

The first page was a warning. Telling her not to read it. Not to tell the Doctor. Only to read the book in cases of emergencies.

She flipped the page nervously, finding another almost blank page. It read, "To Get Back to Him".

She started to turn the page again but stopped. It was like what she'd told Sarah in the past. She couldn't tell Sarah her child would die in a fire. And Freya couldn't read ahead to see what she needed to know. She placed the book on the shelf, its spine blending in magnificently with the other books.

When she came to the point in her life where she needed to, "get back to him", as the book put it, she would find the book.

She walked away, grabbing the book she'd been reading earlier.

She needed to relax.

So relax she did.

Until the TARDIS jerked, hours later, and she fell into the pool that had been moved into the library once more.

**Haha! What do you think? I hope you really like this chapter! You should! I adore it. ;) Please give me some reviews. I'm currently trying to write the Boomtown episode, but it's been a struggle. I've been working three weeks on it, so feel free to leave some encouragement. I prefer having five chapters written up ahead of time before posting a chapter, so I've been getting close to not having chapters backed up. And I've been getting less and less reviews.**

**I hate complaining, but it does leave me thinking people like my story enough to read it but not leave feedback. Even a simple "I like it" is good enough for me so I know people actually are still reading it.**

**Sorry for the rant. And thanks for reading!**

**Andi**


	8. The Empty Child - The Doctor Dances

**Due to all the reviews, I figured I'd go ahead and give this to you. :) It's longer, because it has both episodes in one, but the second part was longer and I couldn't separate them without giving you an uber-short first chapter! Read and review!**

**Oh, and you're gonna love this. For those of you who wanted more original scenes, well, you're welcome. ;)**

Chapter 8: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances

Freya swam to the edge of the pool, managing to get out before being flung back in the pool. The TARDIS was jerking about crazily. Freya threw herself out of the pool, pulling herself out and gripping the couch.

Her book was at the bottom of the pool. She stared at it sadly before managing to get out of the library.

Still dripping, Freya stumbled into the console room where the Doctor was flitting about like a child who'd forgotten to take his ADD medication.

"What's going on?" Freya asked him, gripping a railing just as the TARDIS jerked once more.

"There's an emergency. Mauve," the Doctor explained.

"Mauve?" Freya asked. Was that a color? She thought it was.

"The universally recognized color for danger!" the Doctor exclaimed, flipping a few switches. Oh. So it was a color. She moved so she could see the screen. They were flying through some sort of swirling tunnel after a long cylindrical piece of…metal.

"I thought that was red. Is red just an earth thing?" Freya asked him.

"Just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing. It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, locked the TARDIS on it. Where it goes, we go," the Doctor said gleefully.

"Is that safe?" Freya asked, patting the coral of the TARDIS in worry.

"Totally," the Doctor agreed. An explosion shook the TARDIS, throwing her at the Doctor. He caught her with a sheepish smile.

"Okay, reasonably. Should have said reasonably there. No, no, no, NO!" the Doctor shouted, releasing her as he rushed around the console once more.

"It's jumping time tracks, getting away from us!" the Doctor shouted.

"What exactly are we following?" Freya asked suspiciously.

"No idea!" the Doctor said, almost gleefully.

"Then why are we chasing it?" Freya questioned him in disbelief.

"It's mauve and dangerous, and about thirty seconds from the center of London. Why are you wet?" he asked her suddenly.

"You were holding me earlier, and you just noticed I'm soaked?" Freya asked him, unconvinced.

"I was a bit busy. Did you try swimming in your clothes?" he asked once more.

"TARDIS flung the pool into the library, and with all your jerking, I got thrown in the pool. Twice. You owe me a new book," Freya told him.

"You need dry clothes. No time for the wardrobe. Too massive. TARDIS can be too tricky. I think I have an outfit or two in the corner over there. Tug on whatever fits the best," the Doctor told her absently, waving her off.

"Of your clothes? How will they fit?" Freya asked him, staring at him. He shrugged.

"It's the TARDIS. She probably has something over there already waiting for you to shrug on," the Doctor told her. Freya held back an indignant huff and made her way to the pile of clothing. Of everything in the pile. The only things that seemed to be relatively near her size was a knee-length skirt, a pair of short shorts, and a t-shirt with the Union Jack across the chest.

Freya sighed and glanced around, making sure the Doctor wasn't looking, before she pulled her clothes off and the shirt and shorts on. After a second thought, she tugged the skirt on over the shorts as well. The skirt was really loose, but the last thing she wanted was to walk outside in short shorts in the middle of the 1800s.

She made her way back over to him. He glanced at her outfit and frowned.

"Are you sure about that shirt?" he asked. Freya nodded.

"The only other shirts were all yours and I'm sure that would look lovely in whatever period we land in," Freya pointed out.

"I'm sure my shirts would look more in place than that shirt...Oi! What's wrong with my shirts?" the Doctor asked indignantly, losing his first thought the rest of her words registered to him.

"Nothing…for you. But for me? That would look a bit…unusual, I'm sure," Freya told him. He shrugged and headed for the door, Freya hot on his heels.

They were in an alley. Freya glanced around. It was dark out, and everything seemed sort of dirty. So it was a city.

"Must've come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month," the Doctor mused.

"A month? I thought we were right behind it? And this is London, yes?" Freya asked to make sure. The Doctor nodded.

"Yes. London. And it was jumping time tracks all over the place. We're bound to be a little bit out. Do you want to drive?" he asked indignantly. Freya shrugged, glancing around.

"What's the plan? Can you scan for alien tech? Is that how you usually find the trouble that doesn't find you?" Freya asked him. The Doctor shrugged and shook his head.

"It hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm going to ask," he told her, holding out his wallet.

"Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids?" Freya asked him, scrunching up her nose.

"It's psychic paper. It tells you what I want it to tell you," he told her.

"You used it before, haven't you?" Freya asked. The Doctor nodded as he headed towards a door marked Deliveries Only.

"Door, music, people. What do you think?" he asked. Freya shrugged.

"You're in charge," she told him. He beamed at her.

"Yes. I am. Thanks for noticing," he said pleasantly as he opened the door.

"Coming?" he asked her. Freya nodded, but as she started to follow him, she froze.

"Mummy?"

The voice was coming from behind her. Behind and above her. Freya turned around and her eyes widened.

There was a child, a little boy, wearing a gasmask, up on the roof behind where the Doctor had entered.

"Doctor? There's a child up there!" Freya called, hoping the Doctor would hear her. When she didn't hear him coming, she quickly made her way over to the ladder leading up to the roof.

"Are you all right up there?" Freya called out.

"Mummy?" the child repeated. Freya climbed faster.

She managed to make it to the first tier of the roof. The child was still higher up than she was.

"Mummy?" it repeated again. Almost as if that were the only word the poor thing knew.

"Okay, hang on! I'm coming up. Don't move," Freya begged the child. She glanced around desperately, looking for a ladder to use. No ladder.

A rope fell in front of her though. Freya looked up in surprise. Was the child trying to help her? What was going on? Freya grabbed the rope and tugged on it. It seemed to be tied to something.

Freya bit her lip. She was dreadful at rope climbing. She'd failed that gym class in high school. But a second glance told her there wasn't another way up. She dug her fingers into the rope and used all of her upper body strength to pull herself up.

The wall, she found out quickly, was really helpful with climbing. She could actually climb next to the wall. Why hadn't there been a wall in gym class? Freya quickly dismissed the thoughts, looking up towards the child.

"I'm almost there!" Freya called, hoping the child would be fine, would wait on her.

"Mummy! Balloon!" the child said. That was the first word the child had said that wasn't Mummy. But why balloon? Freya felt the rope move and she gripped it tightly, glancing up at the child.

But it wasn't the child moving the rope.

The rope was attached to a barrage balloon.

Oh. That would explain why the child said balloon, she realized as her stomach dropped.

Freya didn't even have a chance to let go of the rope before she was pulled away from the roof, over the alley.

"Doctor!" Freya shouted, hoping he would come out of the building and see her, save her.

But how could he save her? It wasn't like his spaceship could actually fly.

Sirens started blaring. All of a sudden, the sky was filled with searchlights, scanning the sky. Freya nearly let go in shock at the first explosion. The rope twisted, bringing her face to face with a s squadron of German planes, all flying towards her.

Her and her Union Jack t-shirt.

Freya gripped the rope as tightly as she could, cursing the TARDIS with every word she could think of that sounded remotely vulgar. She should have worn the Doctor's shirt. At least the Doctor's shirt wouldn't have attracted a German fleet.

The skirt, which had been loose on her to begin with, started sliding down. Freya was grateful she'd left the shorts on. But she didn't want to lose the skirt! It was a bit chilly for just a pair of shorts.

Not that she had a say in the matter.

The skirt ended up falling. Freya took advantage of the loss of extra material around her legs and managed to wrap her leg around the rope. But her grip was slipping. She tried digging her fingers into the rope itself but even that didn't seem to be working. She slid a bit, stifling a scream as she did.

She had no idea how long she clung there. But her shoulders started aching. Her hands were slipping. And her head was pounding from the rush of adrenaline as she desperately clung to the rope.

But her fingers slipped.

The rope slid from her fingers, taking some of her skin with it. Freya screamed, the feeling of the air parting all around her. For half a second, it felt exhilarating. Until her mind caught up with her, told her she was falling to her death.

And then she just wasn't falling.

Her eyes, which had closed on their own accord, snapped open to see a sort of blue beam…thing…around her. Like a tube.

"Okay, okay. I've got you," a voice called out.

"Who's got me? Who are you? What's going on?" Freya asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"I'm just programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field," the voice told her lightly.

"Descent pattern?" Freya asked in confusion. Who was this? Only the Doctor could save her like that. And this wasn't the Doctor.

"Oh, and could you switch off your cell phone. It interferes with my instrument," he called out once more. Freya shook her head, about to say she didn't have a cell phone, when she felt her pocket and realized that her cell phone was, indeed, in her shorts pocket.

That could have only been the TARDIS's doing.

Freya pulled it out and switched it off, sliding it back in her pocket before she dropped it. Her hands were shaking severely.

"Thank you. That's much better. Be with you in a moment," the voice told her. Freya kept her mouth shut, glancing around. The German planes weren't on her anymore, but she was still hovering quite a ways above London. High enough up that she doubted she'd survive a fall.

"Hold tight!" the voice told her once more. The voice, Freya realized, was familiar. Sort of.

It was the voice from the library.

The moment she realized this, she was thrown down into the blue beam, landing firmly in a man's arms.

The man who'd broke into the TARDIS.

"I've got you. You're fine, you're just fine. The tractor beam, it can scramble your head just a little bit," the man told her.

"You. I heard you. You were in our library earlier," Freya managed to gasp out. The man frowned down at her.

"I've not seen you before, beautiful. I'd have remembered you if I had," he said with a wink. Freya shook her head.

"No. You put a book in our library. One of me. Of my future, that I was supposed to only read when certain events happened," Freya argued, feeling slightly lightheaded. The man tilted his head.

"Did I now? Your future? Did you read it?" he asked her, intrigued. Freya shook her head.

"I read the warning label and put it back. Why did you put it there? How did you get in the TARDIS?" Freya asked him.

"The TARDIS? Darling, I've never heard of your TARDIS. Never been in one either," he told her. He flashed her another smile.

"Can you put me down?" Freya asked him, feeling uncomfortable from his smiles. His smile faded and he regarded her oddly before settling her down carefully.

"You look a bit dizzy," he told her.

"I'm not…" Freya drifted off as she swayed.

And the world went black.

When she came to, she was laying on what appeared to be a small bed. She shot up quickly, barely avoiding hitting her head on the ceiling of the little cove. She rolled out of the bed, colliding with the floor.

"You okay back there?" the man asked her.

"I can't see," Freya murmured more to herself than him. She needed to see. Whoever he was, she didn't trust him. She didn't trust him and she didn't like him. She had to get out of there, get back to the Doctor.

A moment later, lights flooded the area. Freya glanced around. It was a spaceship, she was sure. It was incredibly small and there were wires all over the place, as if he'd had to rip the wires from the main frame to hotwire it or something.

"Hello," he said with a wink.

"Who are you?" Freya asked him, taking a small step towards the window. She glanced out, hoping he had landed them.

He hadn't.

They were still rather high in the sky of London. Lovely.

"Captain Jack Harkness, One Three Three Squadron, Royal Air Force. American volunteer," he said, standing up. Freya instantly jumped back, but he held an ID card out to her. Freya took it cautiously, examining the paper.

It didn't say his name.

It said he was single. And he worked out. But from his look, he thought it said what he'd told her.

"Psychic paper," Freya said suddenly.

"How'd you know?" he asked her in surprise.

"It said you're single and you work out," Freya told him drily, handing the paper back. She made sure she didn't accidentally touch his hand as she did.

"Tricky thing, psychic paper," he said, glancing down at the paper. He looked back up quickly, slightly alarmed.

"You're terrified of me. You're travelling with someone who you're desperate to get back. But you're terrified of me. That's not how this is supposed to work," Jack muttered to himself. Freya took a quick step back.

"What's your name?" he asked her, taking a step away from her. Freya relaxed a bit at the increased distance.

"Freya. Freya O'Leary," she told him quietly. He slipped his psychic paper back into his pocket.

"And you're not from this time. Cell phone, and those clothes most certainly aren't something a local would wear. Nice bum, by the way," he commented with a smirk. Freya wished the skirt had stayed on.

"It was the only clothes I could pull on in such short notice. It was this or my…fiancé's clothes," Freya stumbled over the word. Jack tilted his head.

"Interesting reaction. And I'd love to know just what you were doing that required you to have to tug clothes on quickly," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"I got thrown into a pool," Freya said drily. Jack continued to stare at her.

"Just…get me back to the ground. Please. I need to find him," Freya finally begged.

"Whoa. Calm down. We'll find this mystery man of yours. How about I fix your hands up first? As a sort of peace offering? I don't know what I did to terrify you, but maybe that'll make up for it?" Jack offered. Freya tentatively took a step towards him, watching him carefully. He didn't look like he had any sort of weapons on him or within reach.

But that didn't mean anything.

She glanced down at her hands. They'd been worse before, at the observation deck. She could manage with rope burns. She flexed her hands, wincing as the pain shot through her hands.

Did she really need her hands to find the Doctor?

She was pulled out of her reverie when a scarf wrapped itself tightly around her hands. Freya's eyes shot up in terror to see Jack wrapping the scarf tightly around her hands.

"Calm down. I'm fixing up your hands. You can stop acting now. I know who you are. I can spot a Time Agent a mile away," Jack told her, not releasing. Freya tried tugging away from him but he held her in place. He reached behind him and pushed a button.

Tiny glowing…things…floated out at her, surrounding her hands. Freya squeezed her eyes shut in panic, only to open them when she felt the pain fade.

Then the particles started moving towards her chest. Freya jerked back suddenly, throwing herself away from him. She hit the floor as the particles disappeared.

"Calm down. They're just nanogenes. What's wrong with your chest?" he asked her.

"My heart's a bit different than most peoples'. What are nanogenes? What's a Time Agent?" Freya asked him, struggling to get the scarf off of her hands. Jack was openly frowning at her now.

"Nanogenes are sub-atomic robots. The air's full of them in here. They just repaired three layers of your skin. And you're a Time Agent…aren't you?" he asked in disbelief. Freya shook her head, hoping the nanogenes would stay away from her. She didn't know how they'd react to her two hearts.

"I don't know what a Time Agent is. I'm…I need to get back to the Doctor," Freya said, feeling her panic rise.

"Calm down. We'll find this Doctor. Is he the Time Agent?" Jack asked her, intrigued. She was the first person he'd ever known who'd reacted to him that way.

"No. He's…the Doctor. Please. Let me go," Freya begged.

"I'm not holding you prisoner. You need to relax a bit. Everything's fine. It's not the best time to be running around on the streets," Jack told her, grabbing a bottle and two glass cups and heading up a set of stairs.

"Come on, will ya?" Jack called out. Freya managed to get the scarf completely off of her hands and ran the other way. They were still in the air. And she had no clue how to drive the spaceship. There was no way she could commandeer it and get herself down.

Her only option was to go up with him.

Her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach as she made her way to the top of the spaceship. Her eyes widened as she was met with the sight of Big Ben's clock face, staring straight at her.

They were tethered to Big Ben.

"Sit down before you fall off the edge," Jack called to her. Freya obediently sank to the roof of the ship, sitting in her spot. Jack moved closer, stopping when he was about two feet away. Freya's anxiety seemed to grow the closer to her he got.

"So you're not a Time Agent. Was the Blue Box yours?" Jack asked her. Freya jumped. Jack shook his head and popped the top off of the bottle he was holding. Alcohol. Freya frowned at that.

"Yes. That's the Doctor's. Can we please find him?" Freya begged him. Jack shrugged and handed her a glass of wine. Freya eyed it suspiciously, waiting until he took a healthy swallow of his before she sipped on hers. The flavor was brilliant, but she didn't trust Jack. She didn't trust him at all.

"And you're sure you're not Time Agents?" Jack asked for clarification. Freya's eyes widened.

"I don't know. I'm his guest. He might be a time agent. Let's find him and you can find out!" Freya suggested excitedly. That was a way she could get back to the Doctor! Why hadn't she thought of that before?

"And how do I know you're not going to just run off as soon as we land?" Jack asked her, one of his eyebrows shooting up. Freya couldn't even meet his eyes.

Because that's what she planned on doing.

"Please, just…let's find him," Freya begged. Jack downed the rest of his glass of wine before refilling both his and hers, although hers still had quite a bit in it.

"Fine. Two glasses. You drink two glasses and I'll take you to find this fiancé of yours," Jack acquiesced.

"One glass," Freya countered, her voice wavering.

"Just start drinking."

It took her awhile to get both glasses down, and by the time she had she was entirely too dizzy to even walk straight. Not that it stopped her from trying. But Jack, true to his word, took them down.

"Okay, I've done a scan for alien tech. We're heading for a hospital. Look alive, will ya?" Jack asked her as she swayed slightly.

"I said one glass," Freya murmured, wishing she'd stuck with one glass. The smile Jack flashed her said he was pleased with the result.

"Eh, you'll be fine. Come on!" Jack said, roping his arm around her waist as he pulled her along. Freya would have protested, would have tried to get as far away from him as she could, but she found it to take all of her focus just to keep herself upright.

"You're a real lightweight, aren't you?" Jack commented as she stumbled into him.

"I've never drank before," Freya admitted. Jack groaned before winking at her, his expression shifting so quickly it made Freya's head spin.

"Do I look more attractive now?" he asked her. Freya shrugged, stumbling once more. Jack sighed before scooping her up into his arms, not even pausing in his walking as he did.

"I'll take that as a yes," Jack said.

"Who are you really?" Freya asked him. He sighed, glancing down at her.

"I already told you. Captain Jack Harkness," he said.

"But where are you from? When?" Freya pressed on. Jack's smirk grew at her words.

"You get bold when you're drunk. I'll remember that. I'm from the 51st century. From a place you've never heard about," he told her, still smirking.

"There's the hospital this supposed fiancé is in. Tell me, where's the ring if you're engaged?" Jack asked her, wriggling his eyebrows at her.

"I have a necklace instead. Different culture," Freya told him, turning her head so that she could see where they were going.

Not that she wanted to.

It was as if Jack had found the creepiest hospital in the area and chose that to be the location of the Doctor. Then again, knowing the Doctor, he did the exact same thing.

The moment Jack stepped into the hospital, Freya knew something was wrong. It felt wrong. And there was no one there.

"Hello? Anybody here?" Jack called out as he started wandering down the halls.

"Hello?" Freya called out as well, knowing the Doctor wouldn't recognize Jack's voice.

"You can put me down now," Freya told Jack, feeling better. The creepiness in the atmosphere seemed to be clearing her head.

Or not.

She stumbled the moment her feet hit the ground, but she shied away from Jack.

"Back to this? I thought you were warming up to me," Jack said in disbelief.

"You got me drunk," Freya pointed out, unhappy to hear her words slurring.

"How was I supposed to know you'd get drunk off two glasses? I had two glasses and I'm functioning just fine," Jack pointed out.

Freya opened her mouth but before she could protest anymore, the Doctor walked out of a room near them. Freya's eyes widened at the sight of him and she threw herself at him, falling into him rather than just hugging him as she had planned on doing. The Doctor steadied her and returned her hug before quickly pulling back, staring critically at her.

Taking in the sight of her missing skirt, short shorts, and flushed cheeks.

"What happened to you? I thought you were following me?" the Doctor asked her in disbelief. Freya shook her head but stopped quickly, as the world decided to shake along with her head.

"There was a little boy. I was trying to save him but ended up…not. And then he captured me," Freya said. The Doctor's eyes snapped up to glare at Jack.

"Good evening. Hope we're not interrupting. Captain Jack Harkness. I've been hearing all about you on the way over. What I haven't heard yet is if you're a Time Agent or not," Jack told him lightly.

"Time Agent?" the Doctor asked, glancing down at Freya in confusion. She shook her head.

"I told him I had no clue what a Time Agent was or if you were one. It was the quickest way to get me here," Freya admitted.

"So you're not Time Agents," Jack said, deflating.

"No. We're not. Do you have something to do with this?" the Doctor asked Jack, his voice a quiet sort of fury.

"With what?" Jack asked in confusion. He glanced down at Freya and his eyes widened.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I gave her two glasses of wine. I didn't think it'd get her that drunk. I was just trying to relax her. She wouldn't stop freaking out and trying to jump from my ship," Jack said flippantly.

"No. Not that. Although I'm not happy about that either! I mean about the people. The gas mask people. Are you causing it?" the Doctor asked, releasing Freya. He gave her a gentle push for the wall before stalking angrily towards Jack. Jack took a quick step back.

"I don't know anything about gas mask people. I am only trying to sell a Chula warship to the Time Agency," Jack said defensively.

"Then why don't you come see what your warship's done," the Doctor said coldly, turning around and briskly making his way back into the room he'd exited. Jack hurried after him, leaving Freya to stumble into the room on her own. She stayed in the doorway, taking deep and steady breathes. How did one get rid of intoxication?

Oh. She didn't have a clue. Water. Drink water? She didn't have water. The whole thing was upsetting.

She watched as Jack ran around the room, examining person after person. Each of them looked like the child she'd been trying to help. She shivered at the sight, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. Each person just lying in a cot like that upset her. It was unnatural.

"This just isn't possible. How did this happen?" Jack muttered frantically to himself as he skitted around, scanning person after person. Freya's eyes widened as she noticed one of the people's chest rising.

"Doctor….they're alive. They're still alive," Freya whispered in horror. The Doctor nodded.

"What kind of ship exactly did you land here?" the Doctor asked Jack coldly. He shook his head.

"A Chula warship. It had nothing to do with this," Jack protested.

"This started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it! What kind of warship?" the Doctor yelled, furious.

"An ambulance! Look!" Jack finally shouted, making a hologram of the odd thing they'd followed through space appear over his bracelet-like device.

"That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to make you think it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you, thinking you were a Time Agent. Saw your time travel vehicle, love the retro look by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait," Jack admitted, looking quite distraught at having to reveal his plans.

"Bait? You're a con man," Freya realized.

"I shoulda realized it though. Shoulda realized you weren't Time Agents. It didn't help that Flag Girl had no clue what a Time Agent was. I thought she was just clueless. The two of you don't exactly fit in either. But that's beside the point. What's happening here has got nothing to do with that ship," Jack told them confidently.

"What is happening here?" Freya asked uncomfortably. The entire room was making her skin crawl.

"Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot," the Doctor spat at Jack.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked him.

"Some sort of virus is converting human beings into these things. But why? What's the point?" the Doctor asked, talking to himself more than anyone else. Freya moved from the wall to them, focusing intently on staying upright as she did.

"Are they soldiers? They have on gas masks. Could they have been changed to be some sort of unstoppable soldier?" Freya suggested as the wall vanished. She fell forward roughly, kissing the ground before she managed to right herself.

"What the hell did you give her?" the Doctor asked Jack, irritated.

"It was just some wine! I drank just as much as she did!" Jack protested.

"But yes. That is a good idea. But who? Who wanted soldiers? You don't want soldiers. You're genuinely shocked," the Doctor said, his eyes sliding to Jack.

"Yes I'm genuinely shocked! This has nothing to do with me!" Jack yelled at him.

The patients all jerked up in their beds.

Freya fell backwards, shoving herself as far away from the creatures as she could. The Doctor's arms slid under her armpits and pulled her quickly to her feet. One of his arms looped around her stomach, pulling her back with him and Jack. Back away from the mass of gas-mask soldiers.

"Mummy?" they started chanting, questioning, as they inched forward.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said grimly. The Doctor kept pulling her back with him before stopping suddenly. His arm left her so abruptly that she nearly fell forward. The arm came back.

"Jack, hold her steady. Behind me!" the Doctor ordered, handing Freya over to Jack, just like some sort of rag doll.

"Don't let them touch you!" the Doctor ordered, eyes glued to the patients.

"Why? What happens if they touch us?" Freya asked him urgently.

"You're looking at it," the Doctor said sadly. The Doctor's words both alarmed and saddened her. They were just like the Dalek. They couldn't be touched. No one could touch them. They were alone. She tried stepping forward.

Jack's grip on her tightened and the Doctor's arm shot out.

"Oh no. This is not the time to try hugging something that shouldn't be hugged. They don't have a conscious thought process left. A hug won't cure them," the Doctor told her.

"You said touching a Dalek wouldn't work either," Freya argued quietly.

"You touched a Dalek?" Jack asked, his voice a mixture of horror, disbelief and awe.

"I held a Dalek. The creature inside, not just the metal shell," Freya informed him. Jack stared down at her with a renewed expression of respect.

"But these are not like them. Stay back," the Doctor ordered her as the patients shambled closer.

"You said they don't have a conscious thought process. But they keep asking for their mummy. They want their mummy. So they do," Freya argued.

"No. The child, the first one, he wants his mummy. The others are only mimicking him," the Doctor corrected her impatiently, his eyes darting around.

"So what if his mummy told him to go away?" Freya shot back. The Doctor's mouth opened and then abruptly closed.

"STOP!" Freya shouted at them. To her surprise, the patients froze. She glanced at the Doctor, then at Jack. Then back to the Doctor.

"Go to your room," Freya ordered, barely managing to keep the tremor out of her voice. The patients all tilted their head to the side, regarding her very carefully.

"Keep going!" the Doctor hissed at her. Freya moved forward slightly, Jack still holding her up. She gripped the Doctor's jacket tightly with one hand and pointed towards the door with the other.

"Go. To. Your. Room. I'm angry with you. I'm very cross! You know better! Go to your room and think about what you've done!" Freya ordered, keeping her tone as neutral as she could. She knew how to mimic that voice. Her mother had told her that all the time growing up.

To her joy and disbelief, the patients all turned and started shambling back towards their beds. The Doctor turned and pulled her from Jack's grip, lifting her into the air and spinning her around before pulling her into a hug, a beaming smile on his face the entire time.

"You are fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! And I am soo glad that worked! Those would have been terrible last words!" the Doctor told her, laughing as he held her close.

"Hate to break it up, but we need to get out of here," Jack said impatiently. The Doctor ignored him, pulling back.

"Why are they all wearing gas masks? Is that part of the soldier thing?" Freya asked the Doctor.

"No. Those masks are flesh and bone," Jack said grimly. The Doctor's grin melted off his face as he regarded Jack once more.

"How was your con supposed to work?" he asked Jack coldly.

"Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space junk, let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth, convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put fifty percent up front, oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for, never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con. The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners. Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day….Getting a hint of disapproval," Jack said as he regarded the Doctor and Freya.

"Take a look around the room. This is what your harmless piece of space-junk did," the Doctor told him coldly.

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter. It was empty!" Jack protested.

"Doctor, shouldn't we get out of here?" Freya asked. She had a feeling her trick wouldn't last that long.

"No. But we do need to go upstairs," the Doctor said, pulling them out of the room and towards a staircase.

"But I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living. I harmed no one. I don't know what's happening here, but believe me. I had nothing to do with it!" Jack continued protesting as the Doctor kept Freya from falling down the stairs they were running up.

'I'll tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock. It's volcano day," the Doctor retorted angrily. Freya slipped and barely avoided slamming her head into the stairs as a siren pierced the air.

"What's that?" Freya asked anxiously as the Doctor hoisted her to her feet.

"The all clear," Jack said, but he didn't sound too sure about that.

"I wish," the Doctor muttered as he tried continuing up the stairs.

"Why don't you just carry her?" Jack asked the Doctor, gesturing towards Freya.

"I don't want to be carried," Freya protested quickly. Being carried made her feel useless. The Doctor stopped and let go of her, quickly turning around.

"Fine. Jack, make sure she doesn't fall. Freya, jump onto my back. Treat it like a piggy-back ride," the Doctor told her. Jack moved behind Freya and she jumped, roping her arms around his neck. Her legs started to slide but Jack's hands quickly wrapped them around the Doctor.

"Good. Now let's go!" the Doctor said as he started to run up the stairs. Jack ran alongside him. Freya hated to admit it, but they were able to move much faster now. She hadn't realized how much she'd been slowing them down.

As soon as they hit the landing, the Doctor ran straight for a door.

"Have you got a blaster?" he asked, gesturing towards the door. Freya's head spun. What about his sonic screwdriver? Wasn't that the point of the thing?

"Sure!" Jack said happily, pulling out what looked like a gun.

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken," the Doctor explained as Jack pointed what Freya assumed was a blaster at the door. A square patch where the lock had been vanished. The Doctor seemed thoroughly impressed.

"Sonic blaster, fifty-first century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?" the Doctor asked Jack. Freya rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder as he dashed into the now-unlocked room.

"You've been to the factories?" Jack asked, sounding impressed as well.

"Once," the Doctor said evasively.

"Well, they're gone now, destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot," Jack said sadly, closing the door and aiming the gun back at it. The lock appeared just as it had been.

"Like I said. Once. There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good," the Doctor said cheerfully.

"Did you do it?" Freya asked him quietly.

"What, blow up the factory? Why would I do that?" the Doctor asked her in a puzzled tone.

"Why wouldn't you do that?" Freya shot back. The wine was making her more outspoken. She wasn't sure she liked that. She couldn't wait for the effect to wear off so she could be of use again.

The room they were in was extremely messy. There were two rooms, in a sense. The first room, the one they'd walked in, was full of filing cabinets and what Freya assumed was cutting edge technology for the time. A window that originally offered a viewing link to the second room was shattered. The Doctor walked into the smaller room, sitting Freya on the tiny bed before looking around.

"It's the child, isn't it?" Freya asked sadly.

"But whatever was in here…it was powerful. Powerful and angry. A child did all this?" Jack asked the Doctor in disbelief. The Doctor wandered back into the other room, pressing play on a tape recorder-like device.

Freya examined the pictures on the wall while the tape rolled in the background. Each picture was of a girl, a girl with brown hair and brown eyes. Like her. But not her. And some of them had a little boy in them as well, holding the woman's hand.

"Doctor, he's drawn his mummy. But he keeps asking if people are his mummy. Why? He should know his mummy, what she looks like, who she is," Freya pointed out. The Doctor nodded, glancing around.

"Why wouldn't he know who his mummy was?" the Doctor murmured more to himself than anyone else.

The Doctor spun on Jack, yelling at him. Freya turned from them, touching one of the photos nearest to the bed. The picture really did look like her. Was that why the child listened to her command? Because she resembled what he thought his mummy looked like?

Her ears became aware of an odd clicking noise. Freya leapt off the bed, stumbling back into the wall at the sudden movement.

Standing in the doorway was the child. The child who was watching her intently.

"I'm here!" the child said. But the Doctor and Jack hadn't seemed to noticed.

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will do. It's got the power of a god, and Freya just sent it to its room," the Doctor said with a choked laugh. He glanced over at Freya, taking in her wide-eyed, frozen stance.

"What's that noise?" Jack asked, sensing something off.

"End of the tape. It ran out about thirty seconds ago," the Doctor said, his own eyes now glued on the child.

"I'm here, now. Can you see me?" the child asked, directing his words more to Freya than anyone else.

"Freya sent it to its room. This is its room," the Doctor said with another laugh. Jack spun around, wide eyes hitting what the Doctor and Freya had already seen.

"Are you my mummy? Mummy?" the child asked, taking a step towards Freya. Jack and the Doctor moved towards Freya, cutting off the child's sight of her.

"Okay. On my signal, make for the door," Jack said slowly, reaching for his pocket.

"Mummy?" the child asked again.

"Now!" Jack shouted, whipping a banana out of his pocket. His eyes widened at the sight. The Doctor pulled Jack's sonic blaster from his own belt, blasting a large hole in the wall.

"Go now! Don't drop the banana!" the Doctor shouted at Jack as he grabbed Freya. He didn't even bother scooping her into his arms like he had before. Instead, he awkwardly wrapped one arm around her legs and the other around her back, leaving her in an almost sitting position in the Doctor's arms. She gripped the Doctor's leather jacket tightly as he jumped through the hole.

"Why not? It's a banana!" Jack shouted as he followed the Doctor through the hole.

"It's a good source of potassium!" the Doctor shot back. Jack grabbed the blaster from the Doctor and aimed it back at the wall, filling the hole.

"Digital rewind. Nice switch," Jack said, sounding unhappy at the admittance. The Doctor sat Freya back onto her feet.

"It's from the groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate," the Doctor told him with a cheesy grin.

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"Bananas are good," the Doctor repeated, as if that was the answer to the universe.

Knowing the Doctor, it very well might be.

The walls started cracking. Freya jumped at the sound, colliding with Jack.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing Freya's hand. He slammed to a halt at the sight of other patients coming at them from the other side.

The patients moved forward slowly, repeating its mantra.

"It's keeping us here til it can get at us," the Doctor realized, eyes wide.

"It's controlling them?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"It _is_ them. It's every living thing in this hospital," the Doctor retorted angrily.

Jack glanced in both directions before aiming his sonic blaster.

"Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and as a triple-enfolded sonic disruptor. Doc, what've you got?" Jack asked, not bothering to turn around again. The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver, examining it with wide eyes.

"I've got a sonic…er, nevermind," the Doctor said quickly.

"What?" Jack asked, the gun moving to aim towards wherever the plaster of the wall was falling the most.

"It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that!" the Doctor retorted quickly.

"Disruptor? Cannon? What?" Jack asked, getting impatient. Freya clutched the Doctor's free hand tightly, eyes darting between the patients and the crumbling wall.

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am sonicked up!" the Doctor shouted.

"A SONIC WHAT?" Jack shouted right back.

"SCREWDRIVER!" the Doctor yelled, matching his tone. Jack froze, spinning around to see that it was, indeed, a screwdriver. His eyes widened and his jaw slackened in disbelief at the sight, just as the child broke through the wall. Freya snatched the blaster from Jack's hands and pointed it at the ground, closing her eyes as she pressed what she hoped was the right button.

The three of them tumbled through the floor, Freya's shirt catching on the edge of floor on the way down. She ignored the sound of her shirt ripping as she slammed into the ground on top of Jack and the Doctor. Jack instantly ripped the gun from her hands and repaired the hole in the ceiling.

"Is everyone okay?" Freya asked them.

"Could've used a warning," the Doctor said indignantly.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"We need lights," Freya murmured, standing quickly. The world tilted for a moment before righting itself. Freya's hands quickly went to the shirt, feeling for how much damage had been done.

Her frown grew. It had ripped the shirt pretty badly. How did that even happen? Why did that happen? The shirt was more of a vest now than a shirt, and a good portion of the bottom of the material was gone as well.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, oh, this could be a little more sonic?" Jack continued behind her.

"What, you've never been bored?" the Doctor shot back.

Freya moved away from the two of them, stumbling into a wall. Her hands skimmed the surface, finally resting on a light switch.

"Yes," Freya cheered to herself as she flipped the switch on.

"Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" the Doctor was asking Jack when the lights flooded the room.

They were in a room full of patients. All of whom sat up and started chanting as they shuffled towards the three of them. The Doctor grabbed Freya's hand and pulled her along behind Jack.

They made it to a door, but when Jack tried blasting it, it didn't work.

"Damn it! It's the special features! They really drain the battery," Jack shouted angrily.

"The battery?" Freya asked in disbelief. The Doctor shoved Jack out of the way, instantly using his sonic screwdriver to open the door. The three of them rushed inside as the Doctor sonicked the door shut once more.

"I think the screwdriver just won," Freya told Jack, stepping away from him.

"I was going to send for another one, one that didn't have that problem, but somebody's got to blow up the factory!" Jack shot at the Doctor.

"The door should hold it a bit. Now, let's think. Assets. What are our assets?" the Doctor asked, spinning to face Freya and Jack.

"Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves," Jack said sarcastically. His eyes landed on Freya and his smirk appeared.

"Nice shirt," Jack said with a wink. Freya moved away from him, trying to hold the shirt as much together as she could. Jack's words drew the Doctor's attention and he sighed.

"You and clothes. Hold on a minute," the Doctor said, shrugging off his jacket. He started to hand her the jacket before he actually looked at her shirt. He sighed deeply and pulled his own shirt off, tossing it at Freya.

"Put that on. I told you you should've just wore my shirt to begin with," the Doctor told her as he pulled the leather jacket back on.

"Window!" the Doctor shouted suddenly, moving for the barred window. Freya turned from the others and slid the ripped shirt off before tugging the Doctor's shirt on. The shirt was long enough that it covered the shorts completely.

Which was one of the reasons she hadn't put the Doctor's shirt on first.

"It's barred. Sheer drop outside. Seven stories, and no other exits," Jack explained to the Doctor. He then shook his head.

"Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?" he asked scathingly. The Doctor turned to Freya, his eyes examining her outfit before jerking his thumb towards Jack.

"Where'd you pick this one up then?" he asked her, his tone slightly irritated.

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance," Jack said sarcastically, eyes glued to the Doctor. Freya recognized the looks on their faces.

It was similar to the look the Doctor had had when Davey had been trying to give her the necklace back on Woman Wept.

"Okay. One, we've got to get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?" the Doctor asked, spinning to face Freya.

"Yeah. Jack just disappeared," Freya murmured, staring at the spot he'd been in.

The Doctor spun around, eyes wide. But Jack was gone.

"Good riddance," the Doctor finally said, faking a smile. Freya faked one as well as the Doctor turned back to the window. He'd climbed up on a chair and was using his sonic screwdriver to…well, Freya had no clue what exactly he was doing. The radio behind them started crackling. Freya turned to stare at it. It wasn't connected to anything.

"Freya? Doctor? Can you hear me? I'm back on my ship! Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you. It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it though. Hang in there," Jack's voice told them through the radio. The Doctor jumped back down from the chair and moved towards the radio. He fingered the disconnected wires as well.

"How are you speaking to us?" the Doctor asked him, his eyes narrowing.

"Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grill," Jack boasted. The Doctor shot Freya an uneasy look.

"Now there's a coincidence. The child can Om-Com too," the Doctor told Freya.

"He can?" Freya asked in horror.

"Anything with a speaker grill. Even the TARDIS phone," the Doctor replied grimly.

"If it can speak to us through anything, does that mean it can hear us too?" Freya asked in terror.

"I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to find you, mummy," the child said in a sing-song voice.

"Doctor, can you hear that?" Jack asked uneasily.

"Loud and clear," the Doctor responded.

"I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do," Jack told them. A few seconds later, a smooth jazz song spilled from the speakers, filling the room.

The Doctor returned to the window, screwdriver in hand. Freya all but collapsed into a wheelchair, watching the Doctor as her eyes drooped.

"What're you thinking about?" the Doctor asked her quietly. Freya cracked her eyes back open, leaning back more in the wheelchair. What had she been thinking about? The music…dancing? What it would be like to dance?

"Nothing interesting," Freya said slowly, sighing as her eyes drifted shut again. The sound of the sonic screwdriver stopped and Freya heard the Doctor jump down from the chair he'd been standing in.

"You're currently drunk. I bet you're thinking of interesting things. I tend to get the best information out of people when they're drunk," the Doctor told her, an almost childish gleam in his eyes.

"Dancing," Freya blurted out. She opened her eyes a moment later. The Doctor looked taken aback, as if he hadn't been expecting her to answer him.

"I was thinking of dancing. And what it felt like," Freya said with a sigh, closing her eyes once more.

"Have you ever danced before?" the Doctor asked her quietly.

"No. Never danced. I bet I'd be rubbish at it," Freya mused. Her eyes shot open and she threw herself out of the chair, colliding with the Doctor. He steadied her, his own eyes wide at her sudden movement.

"Show me how to dance," Freya commanded him, hoping he wouldn't get mad with her order.

"You want me to show you how to dance?" the Doctor choked, confused. Freya nodded eagerly. She grabbed one of his hands and wrapped it around her waist before moving to do the same with the other. Her own hands found their way around his neck and she waited expectantly for him to move.

"Why do you want to know how to dance?" the Doctor asked her.

"Because I don't know how. You said you were nine hundred years old. Surely you've danced before," Freya begged. The Doctor sighed and slowly started to move. Freya moved with him, surprised at how quickly he gave in.

"This is dancing?" she asked in a whisper, almost mesmerized by the simple movements.

"Yeah. I'd suppose it is," the Doctor told her.

"Why'd you stop what you were doing?" Freya asked him, glancing back at the window. It looked the same as it had before.

"We're seven stories up. I could possibly survive that. You couldn't. We'll have to either shove our way past the gas mask people or wait for Jack," the Doctor said in disgust. Freya couldn't resist the urge to giggle at his distaste for Jack. She didn't trust Jack either, and she was incredibly uncomfortable around him, but she wasn't acting as the Doctor was.

She stumbled into him as he turned her, earning a cheeky grin from him.

"Is there some sort of secret alien way to get alcohol out of my system? I don't like it," Freya complained, a smile on her lips as she did. The Doctor smiled as well.

"It would help you with the running, wouldn't it?" the Doctor teased her. Freya nodded.

"I don't like stumbling," Freya told him.

"But you stumble even without the alcohol," the Doctor told her with a grin.

"Plus, you're more open when you're drunk," the Doctor added with a smile.

"Then get me drunk when our lives aren't in danger," Freya bit back, surprised at her own words. The Doctor's grin intensified.

"Oh, I plan on it," he told her with a beaming smile.

"But now?" Freya urged, wishing just to feel like herself and be able to run.

"I can't get rid of the aftereffects. It'll just push you into a hangover early. Can you deal with a hangover?" the Doctor asked her curiously. Freya nodded quickly.

"I could run with a hangover, right?" Freya asked him. He nodded.

"Good. Then take the alcohol away," Freya ordered.

And the next thing she knew, his lips were firmly on hers.

Well.

She wasn't expecting that.

Freya closed her eyes and melted into him, his feet still moving, still pulling her along in the dance she'd begged for.

She somewhat jumped when she felt his tongue pressing against her lips. Her lips parted in surprise, unsure as to what he was doing.

That must've been the right thing to do, because as soon as her lips parted, his did too, and she felt the dizzying effects of the alcohol leaving her. It was replaced by a pounding headache. Was that the hangover he mentioned?

Once the dizziness had vanished, she half-expected the Doctor to pull away. She hadn't been expecting him to pull her closer, his tongue exploring her mouth with a sense of desperation. Freya relaxed into his grip, tentatively pushing her own tongue at his, unsure of what was happening.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, causing the Doctor to throw himself backwards, eyes wide and glued to Freya. She stared at him as well, hand immediately going to her pounding head.

"I don't think I like hangovers," Freya admitted quietly.

"Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet. Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security," Jack explained. Freya turned, surprised to notice they were back on his ship. He was sitting in his captain chair, eyeing them rather gleefully.

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is," the Doctor told Jack bitingly, a glare on his lips.

"Oh, I do. She was gorgeous. Like I told her, be back in five minutes," Jack said with a wink to Freya. Freya simply ignored him, while the Doctor stepped to block Jack's view of her.

"This is a Chula ship," the Doctor said, glancing around. Freya moved to the side so she could see both the Doctor and Jack. The Doctor looked quite distracted from his usual cool. Wait – did he take in the alcohol from her then? Was this him…drunk?

No. Jack didn't seem drunk. That much alcohol couldn't affect the Doctor in the same way it had affected her. If it would have, he wouldn't have done it. They needed his mind sharp, moreso than they needed Freya's mind.

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only this one is dangerous," Jack explained. The Doctor snapped his fingers and a golden glow enveloped his hands. The same glow that had fixed her hands. The Doctor glanced at her, then at her hands, then back to his own.

"You said barrage balloon. And these things fixed your hands too?" the Doctor asked. Freya nodded, wincing as she did.

"Nanobots? Nanogenes?" the Doctor asked her.

"Nanogenes," Freya responded in assurance.

"Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed. All better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws. Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk," the Doctor ordered. Freya made sure she stayed away from the golden glowing things.

"Doctor, if they fix any physical flaw, will they try to fix my hearts?" Freya asked in alarm. The Doctor's eyes widened as well. He gripped her hand with his, pulling her close to him.

"If you stay close to me, they should think you and me are the same. So they won't get rid of the one heart. If anything, they'd try to make you more like me," he tried explaining.

"As soon as I can get the nav-com back online. Make yourselves comfortable," Jack said, ignoring their conversation. He glanced back up at them and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Carry on with whatever it was you were doing," Jack suggested with a wink. Freya's cheeks flushed and the Doctor's ears went pink.

"We were dancing," the Doctor told him quickly. Jack's eyebrows didn't lower.

"Dancing with your tongue down her throat. Feel free to dance with me later," he suggested, winking at the Doctor and then at Freya.

The Doctor quickly pulled Freya back away from him. Freya allowed him to. The two of them sat down on the bed Freya had woken up on when she was first on the ship.

"If you took the alcohol out of my system, does that mean you're drunk?" Freya asked him quietly. The Doctor grinned at her and glanced back at Jack, putting a finger to his lips.

"Shh. He doesn't need to know that," the Doctor told her gleefully.

"So you are drunk. Are you okay?" Freya asked him.

"Of course I'm okay. And I'm not entirely drunk. Superior DNA, I have. It's more like a buzz. Don't get all quiet on me again!" the Doctor all but whined. Freya couldn't hold back her giggle at his childish behavior.

"If this is you buzzed, I'd hate to see you completely drunk," she teased. The Doctor's grin slid off his face and his eyes focused on her, focused intently on her. Freya's eyes widened at the shift in his demeanor.

"I'm going to kiss you again," the Doctor warned her, staring at her. Only he wasn't staring at her eyes. He was staring at her lips.

"Why?" Freya asked, eyes wide. The Doctor's eyes went back to her eyes before drifting back to her lips.

"Because I'm fairly certain I have some sort of feelings for you," the Doctor said almost uncomfortably.

"So you want to kiss me?" Freya asked for clarification. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously, only for the Doctor to grab her hand and still it.

"Isn't it normal for a bloke to kiss his fiancé?" the Doctor asked her, a smile forming on his lips.

And then their lips met.

A little while later, the Doctor had finally released her and was examining the ship, thinking. Freya moved cautiously towards Jack.

"You used to be a Time Agent, didn't you? And now you want to con them?" Freya asked him settling a few feet from Jack. She could feel the Doctor's eyes on her back almost instantly.

"Your fiancé's trying to burn a hole in the back of my head. Possessive, isn't he?" Jack asked teasingly. Freya waited for an answer from him, not wanting to rise to his bait.

"If it makes me sound any better, it's not for money," Jack finally answered her.

"Then why?" Freya asked, instinctively moving a bit closer.

"Woke up one day when I was still working for them, found they'd stolen two years of my memories. I'd like them back," Jack explained.

"They stole your memories?" Frey asked in shock. Jack nodded grimly.

"Two years of my lie. I'd like them back. No idea what I did. Your fiancé doesn't trust me. You don't either, for that matter. And for all I know you're right not to. We're good to go. Crash site?" he asked the Doctor. The Doctor bound over to them, nodding.

Freya reached over and tentatively put her hand on Jack's shoulder. His eyes shot over to her. She hadn't willingly touched him before.

"I think you're wrong. You're not dangerous. You're just…wrong," Freya admitted sheepishly. Jack's expression turned to a smile and he shook his head.

"You know how to make a guy feel better," he told her with a smile. And with that, they were beamed out.

Freya's head spun at the sudden displacement. She stumbled away from the two of them and, to her utter embarrassment, retched violently. Two sets of hands steadied her, one holding her hair back and the other keeping her upright.

"Sorry. It can shake you up a bit," Jack apologized.

"She's hungover. Of course it'll shake her up," the Doctor shot back.

"I'm okay," Freya said weakly as she moved back, away from the mess she'd made. The two of them carefully released her and they headed for a fenced in area.

"There it is. Hey, they've got Algy on duty. It must be important," Jack said, obviously intrigued.

"We've got to get past him," the Doctor stated.

"I've got this," Jack said with a grin, breezing past them. Freya's eyes widened.

"But he was just flirting with me?" Freya asked the Doctor weakly. The Doctor's grin widened as his arm wrapped itself around Freya.

"He's a fifty-first century guy. He's a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing," the Doctor said with a teasing grin. Freya started to ask about dancing before she flushed.

_Oh._

"How flexible?" Freya asked cautiously.

"Well, by his time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy," the Doctor said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"What does that mean?" Freya breathed, still confused.

"So many species, so little time," the Doctor said with an almost wistful sigh. Freya flinched, her head whipping around to stare at Jack with wide eyes.

"So that's what the human race does? Find new life, and…" Freya drifted off.

"Dance," the Doctor finished, a suggestive grin on his face. A grin that slid off the moment his eyes went back to Jack. Freya glanced back at Jack only to see the man he'd been talking to had fallen to the ground and a gas mask was coming out of his mouth.

"Stay back!" the Doctor yelled to Jack as the two of them started running towards him.

"You men, stay away!" Jack yelled at the other soldiers as they approached.

"The effect's become air-borne, accelerating," the Doctor said just as the air raid sirens started going once more.

"Then what's keeping us safe?" Freya asked nervously.

"Nothing," the Doctor told her.

"We've got a problem. A bomb is gonna land here. Any time," Jack told them, his eyes wide.

"Never mind that. If the contaminant's airborne now, there's hours left," the Doctor told them, his expression cold.

"For what?" Jack asked in confusion.

"Til nothing, forever. For the entire human race. And can anyone else hear singing?" the Doctor asked, spinning around. Freya listened, and she could make out the strains of a song being sung nearby. The Doctor took off running, Freya hot on his heels. And it sounded like Jack wasn't far behind.

They entered a shack to find a woman with brown hair singing to one of the gas mask people. She hesitated but started back up again as the Doctor moved to her, sonicking her free from the handcuffs that locked her to the table. The four of them dashed out of the shack and towards the space junk.

Jack ran ahead of them, pulling the tarp off of the spacecraft.

"See? Just an ambulance," Jack reassured them.

"That's an ambulance?" the girl asked. Freya smiled at her.

"It's…foreign. I'm Freya," Freya said, offering her hand to the girl.

"Nancy," the girl said, taking her hand and shaking it.

"They've been trying to get in!" Jack exclaimed as he pulled back.

"Of course they have! They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon. What're you doing?" the Doctor asked as Jack pounded away on a little keyboard-like thing.

"The sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll know I had nothing to do with it!" Jack told them, only for it to spark at him. An alarm went off and the keyboard started flashing red.

"Didn't do that last time," Jack said lightly, but Freya could see he was scared.

"It hadn't crashed last time. There'll be emergency protocols," the Doctor told Jack.

"Doctor…" Freya drifted off, her eyes staring at the gates. The gas mask people were shambling towards the gates. But they were already entering. It was too late to try keeping them out. Freya and Nancy backed closer to the Doctor and Jack, eyeing the masses. They seemed to stop once entering the gates, waiting.

Jack let out an exclamation from behind them as the ship opened.

"It's empty. Look at it," Jack told them.

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops? Freya?" the Doctor asked her expectantly. Freya tried thinking. What else? What else? Why should she know?

"Nanogenes?" Freya asked. That was the only thing she knew about the other ship. The Doctor's expression told her she was right. Jack's face was rapidly paling.

"It wasn't empty, Captain. There were enough nanogenes in there to rebuild an entire species," the Doctor told Jack angrily.

"Oh God," Jack whispered, his face deathly pale.

"Getting it now, are we? When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier in the night, and wearing a gas mask," the Doctor spat angrily.

"They brought him back to life?" Freya asked, horrified.

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene. One problem though. These nanogenes, they're not like the ones from your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do. They patch it up. Can't tell what's gasmask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, work to be done. Because, you see, now they think they know what people should look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire human race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and nothing in the world can stop it!" the Doctor shouted at Jack.

"I didn't know!" Jack shouted back, terrified as well.

"It's bringing the gas mask people here. The machine is, isn't it? That's what the red light is," Freya realized. The Doctor nodded.

"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol," the Doctor explained.

"They aren't troops though…are they?" Freya asked once more.

"They are now. This is a battle-field ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, program you. That's why the child was so strong. Why it can do the om-com. It's a fully equipped Chula warrior. All that weapons tech in the ahnds of a hysterical four year old looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them," the Doctor explained.

"Why are they waiting?" Jack asked.

"Good little soldiers, waiting for their commander," the Doctor responded, eyes still on the gas mask people.

"The child?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"Jamie," Nancy supplied quietly.

"What?" Jack asked. Freya turned to the girl, eyeing her.

"Not the child. Jamie," Nancy said stubbornly. Jack and the Doctor started talking, but Freya ignored them.

"Nancy…who is Jamie?" Freya asked the girl. Nancy turned away. Freya moved in front of her, grabbing her hands.

"Who is Jamie?" Freya repeated. Nancy's brown eyes dropped. And Freya's widened.

The girl was only a bit taller than Freya. Same body structure, same hair color, same eye color. Almost the same skin color. The two looked like they could be sisters.

And the child….Jamie…kept thinking she was his mummy.

"He's your son," Freya whispered. Tears welled up in Nancy's eyes. Freya didn't wait for words, merely pulled the girl into a tight hug as Nancy sobbed into her shoulder. Freya glanced back at the gate to see that the child was standing there now. Her eyes darted back to the Doctor and Jack, only to see that Jack had disappeared.

"Are you my mummy?" the child, Jamie, asked as he approached them. Nancy jerked away from Freya, stumbling backwards.

Freya stepped forward. The Doctor's hand rested on her shoulder, jerking her back.

"No. No. No. Not again," the Doctor told her sternly. Freya turned to face him, making her face as resolute as she could.

"Jamie just wants his mother. You said we're all gonna die anyway. Can I not give the child a hug, allow him to think I'm his mother for a few minutes?" Freya asked the Doctor. The Doctor's gaze hardened along with his grip on her shoulder.

"He thinks everyone is his mummy," the Doctor retorted. But Freya shook her head, gazing at Nancy. Nancy, who knew.

"No. I look like his mother. He thinks I am his mother because I look like her," Freya told him. The Doctor's eyes bounced between her and Nancy and his eyes widened.

"You're his mother. You said he was your brother. But he's not. Tell him, Nancy. Tell him the truth," the Doctor urged her. Nancy, tears still rolling down her face, moved to Jamie.

"I'm your mummy. It's me," Nancy said as she dropped to her knees and wrapped the child in a tight hug. Freya felt the Doctor hug her from the side, eyes glued to Nancy.

"Come on, you clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother, she's the mother! It's got to be enough information. Figure it out!" the Doctor murmured anxiously.

As he spoke, the gold glow started surrounding the two of them. Freya started to jerk forwards but the Doctor stopped her. Both of them were okay as Nancy pulled back. The Doctor moved closer, dragging Freya along with him.

"Come on. Give me a day like this. Please. Give me this one," the Doctor begged as he pulled on the gas mask. It fell off of Jamie's face, revealing that he did indeed have a face still. The Doctor's eyes widened and his face beamed as he scooped the child up.

"Haha! Welcome back! Twenty years til pop music – you're gonna love it!" the Doctor cheered.

"What happened?" Nancy asked. The Doctor smiled at her and handed Jamie to her.

"The nanogenes recognized the superior information, the parent DNA. They didn't change you because you changed them! Haha! Mother knows best!" the Doctor cheered.

"What about the bomb Jack mentioned?" Freya asked, a feeling of dread pooling inside o her.

"Taken care of," the Doctor waved her off as he started pounding away on the spaceship's keyboard. Freya glanced up to see a bomb falling towards them, only for Jack's beam to catch it much like he'd caught her.

"Doctor!" Jack shouted. The Doctor glanced up, a smile on his face.

"Good lad! Change of plan. Don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it, safely as you can?" the Doctor asked him. Jack gave him a sad smile and nodded.

"It's already commenced detonation. Freya? Goodbye," Jack said with a smile before disappearing. Freya turned back to the Doctor who was pulling the gold particles around his fingertips.

"What are you doing?" Freya asked him curiously.

"Software patch. Going to email the upgrade. Everyone's gonna live!" the Doctor told her happily as he threw the particles at the gas mask people. She could practically see them changing before her eyes. The Doctor picked her up and spun her around happily. With her hand still in his, he dragged her with him to talk to another man.

Freya didn't listen though. Because the gold particles were creeping near her. She pressed herself closer to the Doctor, hoping they would go away.

But they weren't.

"Doctor!" Freya whispered anxiously as the particles started swirling around her. They swirled around the Doctor as well, but he didn't seem to notice them.

"Doctor!" Freya said loudly. The Doctor spun around, eyes widening at the sight of the particles.

"Go on, shoo!" he tried saying, but nothing happened.

Nothing until one of the charms on the bracelet seemingly dissolved and mixed into the other gold particles. They seemed to absorb into her skin before fading. The Doctor's hands gripped her tightly.

"What did they do? What did they change?" the Doctor asked her anxiously, his hand drifting to check her heartbeat. Both hearts were beating. The small heart had increased even more, but it was still much below that of a normal heart. But she still had both hearts.

"If it didn't get rid of your heart, what did it do?" the Doctor asked her, lifting her hand to examine the bracelet.

"I think the TARDIS is protecting me. I don't know why though," Freya mused, staring at the bracelet.

"What did she tell you when she gave it to you?" the Doctor asked her.

"She said it'd keep me warm when I wasn't on board. Until it was needed to do something else," Freya murmured. The Doctor started examining the other charms. There were quite a few. There was a TARDIS box, what looked like a baby shoe, and so many other symbols she had no idea about.

"It changed something in your body. That much is obvious. We need to figure out what it is," the Doctor told her, tugging her away from the crowds.

"But I feel fine. I don't even feel…hungover…anymore," Freya pointed out, testing the word.

"No tiredness? You've been feeling tired a lot," the Doctor commented.

"No. I feel just fine," Freya told him, almost shocked at how true that statement was.

When they got to the TARDIS, the Doctor ushered her towards the med-bay.

"Wait! What about Jack?" Freya asked suddenly, stopping in her tracks.

"What about him?" the Doctor asked.

"Why did he say goodbye?" Freya asked. The Doctor stopped and dashed back to the console, flipping a few switches. He then ran over to the door and threw it open before turning some music on.

"Why don't you come over and dance with me again then? Jack'll be in here in a minute," the Doctor told her. Freya smiled and made her way to the Doctor, allowing him to pull her into a dance.

"Welcome to the TARDIS," the Doctor called out after a moment.

"Much bigger on the inside. And I see your definition of dancing has changed," Jack's voice called out teasingly.

"Jealous?" the Doctor asked cheekily.

"More like disappointed. I was looking forward to joining in on the dancing," Jack said. Freya laughed at the Doctor's bright red ears.

"What type of dancing were you wanting to join in on?" Freya asked as the Doctor spun her around. She was able to catch sight of Jack's eyebrows wriggling up and down at her in the brief turn before she was pulled to the Doctor.

"Close the door. There's a bit of a draft," the Doctor called out to Jack.

Freya rested her head on the Doctor's chest, nearly sighing as he continued to spin her around to the smooth music.

What a perfect adventure.

**A.N. - So, there it is. I hope you liked it. Please leave a review. I got a plethora of wonderful reviews this time and would love to have that happen again. I will warn you, the next chapter is a shorter chapter. And I'm sorry for that. A shorter, but highly necessary chapter. And slighlty cliche, and all that jazz. So I'm going to apologize for it now.**

**What do you think? What do you think'll happen next? Let me know your thoughts! I personally adore this chapter! ;)**

**Oh! And I had another question for you. While I am nearing the end (of writing only!) of series one, I wanted to know what you guys wanted. Do you guys want me to continue series 2 in this same story, or make it as a sequel? It's all up to you guys! Just let me know what you would prefer, so I have a general idea as to whether I'm going to have to come up with a separate title (because that is SOOOO strenuous ;) haha).**

**Just let me know!**

**Andi**


	9. Lytien

**WARNING: This chapter probably ought to be rated M for themes (not explicit contents, but stuff is implied. Shield your eyes if necessary. ;) )**

**This chapter may be a struggle for some of you. It may seem a bit cliche. I worked on it. It was the best way I could get what I wanted. Sorry if it seems too cliche. Just figured I'd give you a warning. It's also a short chapter, which is why I'm giving it to you all early. I'm currently writing on the twelfth chapter, so you guys are catching up fast! **

Chapter 9

The Doctor wasted no time in bringing about another adventure. After making sure that Freya wasn't tired, he sent them spiraling into a new location.

He didn't even give Freya the chance to change.

And she'd tried. The moment he announced that they'd landed, she headed towards her room, only for the Doctor to grab her hand and pull her back to him.

"Where are you going?" he asked her, his grin nearly cracking his face.

"To change," Freya told him, glancing down at her outfit. She was still wearing one of his shirts and the short shorts the TARDIS had supplied her with.

And his shirt covered her shorts.

The Doctor's eyes followed hers and when they both met each other's eyes again, the Doctor looked…off. Freya couldn't quite catch what it was, but something about him seemed off.

"What about the alcohol? Are you still…buzzed?" Freya refrained from saying the word drunk. She didn't think the Doctor would appreciate it.

"Nope! Already out of my system!" the Doctor told her cheerfully. He took her hand and pulled her out the doors, Jack following them closely.

As soon as they went through the door, Freya felt the whisper of the TARDIS in her mind.

_I'm so sorry._

The words were enough to freeze Freya in her tracks. She stopped, only exiting the TARDIS because the Doctor forced her out. The doors shut firmly behind them.

"I don't want to go. Doctor, let me go back. I feel bad. Something feels bad," Freya begged, trying to pull away from him.

"Nonsense. You didn't feel bad before," the Doctor said, but her words seemed to register to him a moment later.

"Why? What feels bad?" the Doctor spun, examining her.

"Everything. Something bad's going to happen. The TARDIS just told me she was sorry," Freya told him, glancing around. They looked like they were in the slums of some city.

A city with two rising moons.

"If she said she was sorry, then there's nothing we can do. The TARDIS can see everything. The past, the future, what can be, what shouldn't be, all of it. Just… stay close," the Doctor warned her, his grip tightening on her.

"TARDIS?" Jack asked, looking quite intrigued. The Doctor nodded.

"That's my ship. Don't get it in your mind to start flirting with her. I won't have it," the Doctor warned him. Jack's smile grew and he stroked the police box, eyes glued to the Doctor.

"I don't know, Doctor. I bet your box wouldn't mind me," Jack said suggestively. The Doctor stomped away from Freya and ripped Jack from the box.

"I'll leave you here if you touch my TARDIS inappropriately again," the Doctor warned him, his eyes dark. Jack laughed at him.

"So I'm not allowed to touch either of your girls? Where's the fun in that?" Jack asked, winking at Freya.

"Doctor, where are we?" Freya asked him.

"Looks like the planet Lytien. About six solar systems away from yours. Next door neighbors," the Doctor explained cheerfully.

"Not the most charming of places," Jack muttered, glancing around.

"Oi! I'll let you fly next time then!" the Doctor said indignantly.

"Is this a full adventure or a vacation? Cause it doesn't feel like a vacation," Freya observed. The Doctor started giving a full winded explanation, all while facing away from her.

Freya didn't hear it though.

Two hands grabbed her, one instantly covering her mouth and the other pulling her back.

Something was slapped on the side of her neck, hazing her vision over slightly. Freya tried jerking away, but a second set of hands pulled her back as well.

"She's still freaking out. Give me the second patch!" the person behind her urged as they tugged her backwards.

"But we only have one left!" the second voice protested.

"We've got enough for tonight!" the first voice said harshly. Another patch was pressed to her neck and her vision hazed over more, leaving everything in a light red, near pink shade. The Doctor, who seemed so far away, turned, eyes widening as they landed on Freya.

Him and Jack took off running as the men behind Freya dragged her away.

It was much harder for her abductors to get her away when Freya herself was struggling against them.

The Doctor spun around the corner, hand outstretched towards Freya. But Freya couldn't reach out to him. She could barely think.

His finger grazed her necklace. The new one he'd gotten her. He had her by the necklace. But the man behind her jerked her away from him so suddenly that the necklace snapped, all of the pretty pieces flying off as it came back with the Doctor's hand. Cool metal pressed itself against her head.

"Another step and we kill her," the voice behind her threatened.

"Let. My. Companion. Go!" the Doctor ordered angrily. The second kidnapper was out of sight. But she heard a van door sliding open. Her eyes widened.

"You'll get her back. She'll be just fine. We only need her for a few hours," the man behind her said.

And the second person jumped out, shooting both Jack and the Doctor with some sort of electrical ray. Freya gasped as both of them crumbled to the ground.

"Took you long enough. Get in the car," the first voice ordered. Freya was pulled away from the Doctor and Jack and shoved into a van. A van holding seven other girls. Each girl had a patch on their neck. A patch that, Freya realized, said Lust and Longing on it.

Freya was sat down next to one of them and the person that'd been holding her captive got in, sitting in front of the door. The other person got into the driver seat. The man who'd been holding her smiled at her.

"What's going on?" Freya asked, trying to keep her tears at bay. The girl next to her scoffed.

"What do you think's happening? If you were dumb enough to be wandering the streets, you deserve it," she bit out at Freya.

"I'm not from here. Please. This is a mistake," Freya turned to the man.

"Sorry. In a few hours, we'll release you. Until then, it's in your best interest to cooperate," the man told her with a grin, a grin that seemed less malicious than his words.

"Why? Are you going to kill me?" Freya asked, her throat closing up slightly as she tried holding back her tears.

"Kill you? Nah. We don't have to do that. If you don't do what we say, the chemicals in your body'll kill you," the man told her. Freya's hand went up to her neck instantly.

"Don't bother taking them off. They're already in your bloodstream," another girl told her.

"What are?" Freya asked, glancing around the van in a panic. The girls exchanged looks.

"She really doesn't know," one of them said softly. The girl across from her tentatively stood and stumbled towards Freya, settling next to her.

"You've got Lust and Longing in your system. If you don't have sex within the next six hours….oh, you have two. Within the next three hours, you'll die. It has to be complete and actual sex. The process of sex is actually the only cure for it. They're taking us to a night club where people will pay for us for the next few hours," the girl explained. Freya's eyes widened.

"So we're like…slaves?" Freya asked, feeling her lip quiver against her volition.

"Of course not. We were short a few prostitutes for the night. If you'd just obeyed curfew, you wouldn't have had any problems," the man told her lightly.

"We're running late. We don't have time to change them before throwing them onstage," the driver said, glancing at the clock.

"No problem. They'll take just about anything. Let's go!" the man said, bailing out of the van. The girls followed him out, one of them helping Freya. When she didn't move fast enough, the first man grabbed her arm and dragged her along behind the others.

His touch sent a tingling down Freya's spine. It terrified her. She winced away from him, only for the driver to frown.

"We gave her two patches and it's still not overriding her like it should," the driver complained.

"It won't be a problem. Some men enjoy a little fight in their women."

Back in the streets, the Doctor lurched upward, his head spinning. Jack groaned, still on the ground.

Freya's necklace was lying in front of him.

He scooped it up carefully, tucking it into his pocket before standing.

"Jack. Get up," the Doctor ordered, examining the streets coldly. Said man groaned once more before sitting up. After a moment, he shot to his feet unsteadily.

"Where is she?" Jack asked, wide eyes darting around.

"They took her. And we're going to find her," the Doctor said darkly. He'd promised her. He'd promised her she'd be safe, even though she didn't want to be there.

He wasn't about to let her get hurt because he'd lied.

The men shoved Freya onto the stage in a line with the other girls. Her hearing was fading in and out. Men were staring at her, pointing, laughing. She was still in her clothes, the Doctor's shirt and the hidden short shorts. She tugged down on the shirt nervously, not liking the feel of the men's eyes on her.

One man handed her captors money and grabbed her, pulling her away from the others. Freya stumbled, trying to find a way out, but the man's grip on her was tight, much too tight. She was suddenly in a room, a room with a door the man locked. Locked and slid the key into his pocket.

He made his way towards her, slowly cornering Freya in the room.

"They said you'd had two patches but you were still fighting it," the man said, his eyes gleeful. His hands caught her wrists and shoved them up, up against the wall. Metal encased her wrists, locking them in place. Her eyes went even wider as she struggled, struggled feebly.

"Please. Let me go," Freya begged. The man's smile grew as his hands traced her sides.

"Beg. Beg me for your freedom," the man said darkly as he pulled a knife out of his pocket. Freya jerked back, her head slamming into the wall. The man let out a gleeful laugh as he sliced through her shirt, dropping the ripped fabric to the ground easily.

Before he could do anymore, the door slammed open. The Doctor stormed into the room, eyes full of fury.

"Get away from her," the Doctor ordered coldly. Jack dove in as well, his sonic blaster aimed at the man. Freya closed her eyes tightly, suppressing her whimper. Someone grabbed her hands, causing her to shriek. Her eyes flew open as Jack covered her mouth.

"Sh. Calm down. Doc, where's that screwdriver?" Jack asked, turning his head. He was standing right in front of her, almost as if he were shielding her from seeing something. Or from someone seeing her. The screwdriver appeared in Jack's hands and he quickly undid the handcuffs before shrugging out of his jacket and wrapping it tightly around her. He turned around in time for the Doctor to appear, pulling Freya into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened," the Doctor murmured. Freya held back a whimper. Her vision was becoming even more hazy pink with the Doctor touching her.

"Let's get her back to the TARDIS," Jack suggested. Only to stop. He glanced at her neck, at the patches, and his expression dropped.

"Doctor, we have another problem," Jack said.

"We'll figure it out on the TARDIS," the Doctor said, scooping Freya up. The next thing Freya knew, they were in the TARDIS. She didn't remember them moving. Did they move? Of course they moved. They couldn't have gotten there without moving, right?

"Freya, stay with us. Did they mention any other way to counteract the poison?" Jack was asking her. Freya shook her head.

"They said there wasn't another cure," Freya said before flipping over, eyes closing. She was quickly shaken awake.

"Stay with us," the Doctor ordered. Freya's eyelids felt heavy. Until the Doctor's fingers absently touched her hair.

Her eyes were wide open then.

"Good. Keep petting her hair for the moment. She has two patches. That limits her time down to three hours. They should have banned those by this time. I thought they were banned everywhere by now," Jack was rambling.

"Okay. Do what you have to," the Doctor told Jack. Jack reached for Freya. Freya, catching what he was talking about, flinched away, towards the Doctor. Jack's eyes shot back up to the Doctor.

"Freya, it…it has to be done. We don't have another cure for it," the Doctor told her.

"I don't trust him," Freya murmured.

"Who do you trust? We can take you wherever, but you have to do it. You don't have much time," the Doctor urged her. Freya sighed as his fingers continued combing through her hair.

"I trust you," she murmured.

When she woke up, she was wrapped in a heap of blankets in her room. The lights were dimmed but still on, and Jack was asleep in a chair in the corner of the room. Her slight movement woke him up.

"You're awake! Good! The Doctor just left a few hours ago. I'll go get him," Jack said, heading for the door. He stopped in the doorway, glancing back at Freya.

"He's been really worried. Hasn't stopped tinkering since you fell asleep. Mainly on your necklace. Even when he finished it, all he could do was twist it around his fingers," Jack told Freya before leaving the room.

_I'm really sorry._

The TARDIS's voice was the epitome of empathy.

"It's not your fault. It probably had to happen," Freya said with a quiet sigh.

"What had to happen?"

The Doctor was standing in the doorway, looking quite anxious. He glanced at her but stopped in the doorway, as if he were overstepping some sort of boundaries.

"You can come in," Freya told him quietly. It was all the permission he needed. He quickly entered the room, only to slow down as he approached her bed.

"I fixed your necklace," the Doctor said, holding the necklace out to her. Freya noted how it looked exactly like her original necklace now.

"Keep it. Eventually you'll go back and give it to me," Freya told him. He awkwardly tucked it into his pocket, staring at the wall behind her.

"What had to happen?" the Doctor repeated his previous question.

"What happened. The TARDIS was apologizing. But she wouldn't have let it happen if it didn't have to happen," Freya said quietly.

"Do you want me to take you home?" the Doctor asked her. Freya's head shot up at his words.

"Do you want to take me home?" she asked quickly, almost terrified at the thought. His own eyes widened at her reaction.

"No. But I want you to be where you want to be," the Doctor told her earnestly.

"I want to be here," Freya told him. The Doctor stared at her for a moment, as if he was trying to think of what to say. He shook his head after a moment and started to walk out of the room but stopped. He turned around and made his way back over to her, pulling out a ring from his pocket.

"Since I destroyed your engagement necklace, I figured I could give you an engagement ring. So next time we see your family, or we need to get out of some mess, you at least have a ring," the Doctor told her. He held the ring out to her.

Freya took it from him and carefully slid it onto her finger. It fit perfectly, something that confused her. How did he know what her ring size was?

"The TARDIS told me. I asked Jack, but he had no clue. He said women usually spout their ring size as one of their first statements about themselves, but I've never heard you say your ring size," the Doctor said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Jack's used to women falling all over him," Freya told the Doctor, allowing a smile onto her face. The Doctor smiled as well.

"Yeah. I guess he is," the Doctor said, smile remaining on his face.

"Where are we going next?" Freya asked him, sitting up in the bed.

"We're gonna wait awhile. We've been drifting in the Time Vortex since we left Lytien. Figured we'd drift until you've gotten some more sleep. Then we have to take a pit stop to Cardiff to charge the TARDIS up," the Doctor told her.

"The TARDIS has to charge?" Freya asked in confusion. The Doctor nodded, looking quite excited to be able to explain something. He sat down on the bed before jumping back up quickly.

"You can sit," Freya told him, feeling slightly amused at how he was acting. The Doctor sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"Yes, well, the TARDIS can use the energy from the rift Gwyneth sealed. It bleeds the energy, so we can stop there for twenty-four hours and we'll be good for a long time!" the Doctor told her cheerfully.

"Why aren't we going there now?" Freya asked in confusion.

"I figured you'd want to call your friends and see if they wanted to drop by while we were there. It's been awhile. Well, since you saw your friend and her boyfriend. You saw Rose recently. I'll even let her come by," the Doctor told her, offering her a small smile.

He was still mad at Rose. Freya had thought he'd gotten over it, but it was obvious that he hadn't. But he was still willing to let her come. For her.

The Doctor stood and made his way to the door. In the doorway, he stopped and turned around, giving her a tiny smile.

"Good night," he told her before closing the door.

And she slept.

**Yeah, I know it's a bit cliche. I know it may seem a bit OC. But here's how I look at it. I thought it was a cool idea. The concept. I know it's been done before (or similar...I searched my original few ideas and kept finding stories that had already done it and I wanted something relatively unique). And as for her reaction? It's Freya. She...well, you know. She still trusts him. Completely. He's probably the first person she's trusted so completely. So something like this...well, it wasn't like it was a passionate romp that occurred out of the blue. It happened to save her life. She knew it. He knew it. Jack...well, Jack ought to know it, but it's Jack.**

**I just wanted to defend myself. Review please, but if you have a lot of issues with what happened, keep it to a minimum please. I'd like to know if you didn't like it, but I don't want to have to shield myself from extreme negative reactions. **

**Sorry for the long note. I just sensed some nasty reviews. -A**


	10. Boomtown

Chapter 10

The next morning, Freya was fiddling with some wiring on the TARDIS when they heard the knock. The Doctor, at her own urging, had shown her how to fix a common problem on the TARDIS and she was happily taking care of it. Her head shot up, only for Jack to bound towards the door. Freya's eyes drifted up to the Doctor, who shrugged before turning back to his work on the ceiling of the TARDIS.

"Who the hell are you?" Freya heard Jack ask.

"Oh. Hello," Jack said, his tone changing from abrasive to flirtatious.

"What do you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?" Freya heard Mickey's voice protest.

"Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever you're selling, we're not buying," Jack told him, trying to slam the door in their faces. Mickey shoved his way past him, as did Rose, Masen, and Marie. The four of them moved quickly over to Freya, Marie and Rose pulling her into a tight hug.

"Don't tell me that one's Mickey," Jack said in distaste.

"Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy? Marie? Jason? Rose?" the Doctor asked them all in turns. Freya held back her giggles.

"It's Mickey!" Mickey protested.

"And Masen," Masen corrected, sounding equally irritated.

"He's trying to irritate you. It's okay," Freya told them, not wanting everyone to fight.

"How've you been? How's things been? It's been four months since you dropped me off," Rose explained.

"Four months?" Freya asked. It felt like days. A few days, at the most. Rose nodded.

"I haven't seen you in six months!" Marie protested before hugging Freya tightly again.

"Aw. You all are so sweet. How come I never get any of that?" Jack complained, glancing up at the Doctor. The Doctor glanced down at him, nonplussed.

"Buy me a drink first," the Doctor told him. Jack winked at him.

"You're such hard work. How about you, Freya? I did help save your life, you know. The least you could do is give me a hug," Jack teased. Freya stiffened in Rose and Marie's arms, eyes darting away from Jack. The Doctor slid down the ladder, glancing between Freya and Jack cautiously.

"Saved your life? What happened? Doctor, what happened?" Marie asked, alarmed. Rose turned as well to stare at him.

"Nothing. Stupid…alien culture. Like the necklace," Freya lied nervously.

"What happened to the necklace?" Marie asked suspiciously.

"It broke. We had a bit of a mishap with locals," Jack lied effortlessly, trying to cover up the mess he'd brought up.

"So your engagement necklace was broken. What does that say about your relationship?" Marie demanded.

Only to catch sight of the ring on her finger.

"It says he had to adapt to the nearest local culture," Freya told her, forcing a smile onto her lips. Marie snatched her hand, examining the ring.

"Oh! It's gorgeous! But you know, Doctor, you're in trouble," Marie said, spinning on the Doctor.

"Blimey! What'd I do this time?" the Doctor asked her, eyes wide in confusion.

"You didn't ask my permission before you asked her to marry you. I'd never even met you. That's best friend law, if you don't have acceptable parents to ask," Marie pointed out. Masen appeared quite nervous at that statement, Freya noticed, but Marie didn't seem to see it.

"Sorry. I know little about your apish culture," the Doctor said flippantly, turning away to mend another part of the TARDIS.

A part he'd already fixed.

"You're marrying that ape, so you'd bettered learn!" Marie shouted at him. The Doctor winced.

"So this is a real ring. An actual, real ring. Does that mean you really are staying with him? Forever?" Rose asked, drawing all of the attention back to Freya. Her eyes darted around nervously. Not only was Marie, Masen, Mickey and Rose watching her, but Jack and the Doctor seemed equally curious.

"As long as he'll have me," Freya finally said quietly, staring directly at the Doctor when she said it. The Doctor looked away quickly.

"I don't understand. Who's this guy?" Mickey asked, jerking his thumb towards Jack.

"Yeah. Who the hell is he? I mean, you're engaged to Dr. Big-Ears, and you have this handsome bloke running around?" Marie asked.

"Oi!" the Doctor said, his head shooting up.

"Look in the mirror," Marie retorted, unfazed.

"I am rather handsome, aren't I?" Jack asked, preening under Marie's appreciative once-over.

"I'd say cheesy," Mickey muttered under his breath.

"Early twenty-first century slang…is cheesy good or bad?" Jack asked, turning to Freya. He shot her a reassuring smile the moment the others turned to her. He was trying to make things better.

He was trying to get on her good side.

"Bad," Freya admitted.

"But bad means good, right?" Jack asked with a wink.

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" the Doctor asked, appearing to still be hung up on Marie's comment on his ears. His hands were tentatively touching his ears, as if gaging just how big they were.

Marie merely waved him off.

"What're you doing in Cardiff?" Masen asked, appearing much more intrigued with that thought than anything else.

"We stopped by to refuel," Freya said, nodding towards the Doctor.

"Cardiff has this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions," the Doctor explained. Freya could tell he was dumbing it down for their benefit.

"It was healed back in 1869 by a servant girl named Gwyneth. She saved the world by keeping these gas-like creatures called the Gelth away after they tried using the rift as a gateway," Freya supplied.

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race," Jack interjected happily.

"But perfect for the TARDIS, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and…" the Doctor interrupted.

"…open up the engines, soak up the radiation," Jack jumped in once more, earning an exasperated expression from the Doctor.

"Just like filling up a car with gas. Then we fly off again," Freya supplied, hoping the comparison would make more sense to her friends.

"Into time!" Jack exclaimed.

"And space!" the Doctor cheered, holding up his hand as Jack high fived him. Freya couldn't resist smiling as well. She noticed that Jack didn't ask her for a high five.

He was trying to respect her almost-fear of him.

"My God. Have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?" Marie asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said with a shrug.

"Pretty much," Jack added in.

"They always think they're clever," Freya retorted with a slight grin.

Jack and the Doctor both beamed at her. They were thrilled.

Because she was already recovering. It hadn't even been a full day, and she was already recovering. The though sent joy through the Doctor's body.

She was going to be fine.

"Why don't we go grab some lunch?" Marie suggested. They had been sitting around on the ground due to the lack of seats, and Freya was certain Marie was suspicious of something. Freya had been trying to explain her adventures to them without making them sound dangerous.

She'd completely avoided their last adventure.

"It should take another twenty-four hours, so we've got time to kill," the Doctor agreed, grabbing his leather jacket. He slung it on and glanced at Freya.

She wasn't wearing a jacket.

"You probably ought to go get yourself a jacket," the Doctor recommended and Freya immediately got to her feet and took off for the wardrobe.

"What happened to her?" Marie asked the Doctor the moment Freya was out of earshot. The Doctor and Jack shot each other wary looks before their eyes slid back to Marie.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked, hoping to divert some attention away from the Doctor.

"Something happened. Something bad. She's different. Good different, but her best changes have come from the worst events. From your actions, I'd assume it happened after your last trip. The one her necklace got broke on. What happened?" Marie demanded. The other three looked highly intrigued at the statement.

"She's right. She's acting different from even how she acted last time I saw her. Which was only a few days ago for you. And I got her killed," Rose pointed out.

"You what?" Marie asked, spinning on Rose.

"She came back to life," Rose said weakly, glancing back at the Doctor and Jack.

"She may or may not've been abducted for about an hour," Jack began, only for the Doctor to give him a hard look.

"Abducted? What happened?" Marie gasped.

"They snuck up behind us and drugged her," Jack answered, ignoring the Doctor's glare.

"They drugged her?" Rose asked in shock. Jack nodded and then closed his mouth, noticing the Doctor's death glare.

The Doctor stared at the door, waiting as Freya appeared. She had a tiny smile on her lips. And her jacket?

The Doctor was fairly certain it was a feminine version of his own. He was sure the TARDIS had something to do with that.

"Right! Let's go get lunch!" the Doctor said, bounding for the door. Everyone followed, Marie slowing down so she was walking next to Freya.

"That old lady's staring," Mickey observed, nodding his head towards a woman with wide eyes and a dog.

"Probably wondering what seven people could do inside a wooden box," Jack said, nudging the Doctor suggestively.

"What are you captain of, the Innuendo Squad?" Marie shot at him. Jack flashed what Freya assumed was a 'whatever' sign with his hands. Mickey started questioning the Doctor as they began walking, but Marie gripped Freya's arm, slowing her down a bit.

"What really happened to you? Jack let it slip you'd been abducted. And drugged. But what exactly happened? You're acting really weird," Marie complained, her voice quiet.

"Jack said that?" Freya asked, startled.

"I got it out of him. What. Happened?" Marie repeated.

"It was some sort of date rape drug, but lethal," Freya finally admitted quietly.

"Define lethal," Marie ordered.

"As in, if you didn't…do it…within a time limit, it would kill you," Freya supplied, her face almost painfully neutral.

"And they rescued you. They said they'd rescued you," Marie stated.

"They did," Freya agreed.

"So which one of them did it? Which one cured you? And yes, I mean it the way you think I do," Marie told her. Freya glanced ahead at the Doctor and Jack, both of whom were holding an overly joyful conversation with the other three.

It wasn't until Freya noticed the worried glance the Doctor shot over his shoulder that she realized it was all an act.

"Oh. I see," Marie breathed. Freya's head whipped to face Marie.

"And even after that, you still trust him. Completely. But you're scared of Jack," Marie assumed. Freya swallowed and nodded.

"Jack's just…wrong. He feels so wrong. I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach when I see him. I don't know what it is," Freya admitted.

"You and the Doctor…you're not really engaged, are you?" Marie asked slowly. Freya shrugged.

"It doesn't matter," she said. Because it didn't. Not to her. And obviously, not to him.

"But you should be acting differently. Aren't things awkward?" Marie asked in confusion.

"Why would things be awkward?" Freya asked, completely confused at Marie's confusion.

"Because he….you two had sex! Doesn't that change your relationship?" Marie asked her.

"It was required. He did it to save my life. Like he said he would. He protects me, Marie. He truly protects me. And he hugs me. And holds my hand as we run. And he even kissed me, Marie. He gave me my first kiss. I don't understand how that would make things awkward," Freya explained. Marie's eyes widened.

"You love him!" she exclaimed. Freya's eyes matched hers and she shook her head.

"I don't even know what love is! How could I love him?" Freya asked. Marie shook her head, a grin on her face.

"You love him. And you look so much better. No shadows under your eyes. No nightmares? The two of you must be sleeping together. Not sex, at least, not before, I'd assume. But wow! I'm so happy for you!" Marie gushed.

"Oi! You two coming?" the Doctor shouted. Freya glanced up, grateful for the interruption. The Doctor gave her a smile as well as her and Marie walked quickly to catch up with the others.

"What's the plan?" Rose asked, looking positively gleeful to be part of the Doctor and Freya's world again. She shot Freya a smile before turning to face the Doctor.

"I don't know. Cardiff, early twenty-first century and the wind's coming from the east. Trust me. Safest place in the universe," the Doctor said as he started walking towards a tiny restaurant.

"That's a lie. Can't be the safest place in the universe. You're here," Freya pointed out, making sure that her smile remained on her face as she spoke. She didn't want the Doctor to think she was mad about that, or even upset.

The Doctor grinned at her.

"Ah. Well then, let's get some lunch before things go crazy," he said with his winning grin. He reached out and grabbed her hand, tugging her along as he walked quickly towards the restaurant.

Both of them missed the knowing smirk Marie gave them.

At the restaurant, Jack was telling them a story. A long story, one that only got more ludicrous with every word he spoke. Everyone seemed to be enjoying it though. Everyone except Freya. She got a feeling that something was wrong. She couldn't tell if something really and truly was wrong, or if it was just her worries over the Doctor's confidence of nothing being wrong.

In the middle of the story, Freya excused herself. She noticed a man reading a newspaper and worked up the courage on her walk over to him to actually say something to him.

"Excuse me, sir, but is there any way I could see your newspaper for a moment? I'm a bit out of date on current events," Freya said politely. The elderly man smiled at her and handed her the newspaper.

"Of course. Biggest news is on the front page. We're getting a nuclear power plant, as you ought to know, and the plans have been completed. All thanks to our new mayor," the man explained. Freya flipped it over to the front page, only for her blood to run cold.

On the cover was a picture of Margaret.

One of the Slitheen.

She was the new mayor.

"Mind if I borrow this for a moment?" Freya asked him. The man shook his head. Freya stood quickly and made her way back to the table.

"Safest place in the universe?" Freya asked the table, holding up the newspaper.

"And I was having such a nice day," the Doctor complained.

"Right. We should go investigate, right?" Rose asked. Freya walked the newspaper back over to the elderly man and thanked him before joining the group.

"What brought that on?" the Doctor asked her when she returned.

"Something didn't feel right. Nothing's always going perfect. I wanted to see the news," Freya explained.

"Fantastic. Let's go, before the others leave us in their excitement," the Doctor told her, his eyes gleaming.

He grabbed her hand and started pulling her along.

"Are you alright? I saw your friend talking to you earlier," the Doctor asked her. Freya nodded.

"I'm fine. She was just curious as to what happened," Freya said distantly.

"But are you really fine?" the Doctor pressed. Freya's smile grew, and while the Doctor could tell that it was very much so exaggerated, he could also see the truth behind it as well.

As they entered City Hall, Jack took a half step in front of them, almost as if he were taking in charge.

"According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit," Jack explained.

Freya resisted the urge to tell him that everyone already knew that bit. He seemed way too excited over it for her to ruin his fun. He continued talking, still staring straight ahead.

"Okay, plan of attack. We assume a basic fifty-seven fifty-six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor, you and Freya go face to face. That'll designate Exit One. I'll cover Exit Two. Rose and Mickey, you take Exit Three. Masen and Marie, you take Exit Four. Have you got that?" Jack asked, glancing at everyone in turn. The Doctor shot him an indignant look.

"Excuse me. Who's in charge?" the Doctor asked him, sounding quite miffed. Jack rolled his eyes at Freya before snapping into a salute.

"Sorry. Awaiting orders, sir," Jack said stiffly.

"Right. Here's the plan," the Doctor said, leaning in towards the group, his expression complete and utter serious. He glanced at everyone's faces before the seriousness melted away to be replaced by his grin.

"Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?" the Doctor asked Jack pleasantly.

"I'm gonna get whiplash from all these mood changes," Marie complained.

"Present arms. I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear you compare me to a hormonal woman," Jack said cheekily. Marie's eyes narrowed at him but she pulled out her cell phone anyway. Freya pulled out hers as well, wincing at the missed calls from her mother.

"Ready," Freya said, echoing the others.

"Speed dial?" Jack asked them.

"Got it. Let's go," Marie said impatiently.

"See you in hell," Jack said with a wink before stalking off. Marie and Masen headed for their direction and Rose dragged Mickey along behind her. The Doctor, still holding her hand, pulled her along towards a secretary desk. The man at the desk glanced up at them and smiled.

"Hello! We've come to see the Lord Mayor," the Doctor said cheerfully.

"Have you got an appointment?" the secretary asked him, his voice equally cheerful. The Doctor shook his head, smile still on his face.

"No, just an old friend passing by. Bit of a surprise. I can't wait to see her face. Can you?" the Doctor asked Freya. She shook her head, keeping a smile on her face as well. The secretary's smile faded.

"Well, she's just having a cup of tea," the secretary told them. The Doctor shrugged this off.

"Just go in and tell her the Doctor would like to see her. Just the Doctor. Tell her exactly that. The Doctor," the Doctor said cheekily. The secretary glanced at Freya but she shook her head.

"Oh, Margaret wouldn't remember me by name," Freya lied breezily. The secretary stood and nodded.

"Hang on just a tick," he promised as he slipped in between the doors.

Moments later, they heard the sound of a tea cup hitting the floor. Freya couldn't hold back her smile, nor could the Doctor. The secretary slipped back out, a nervous look in his eyes but a smile on his face.

"The Lord Mayor says thank you for popping by. She'd love to have a chat, but, er, she's up to her eyes in paperwork. Perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week?" he asked. The Doctor's smile never left his lips.

"She's climbing out the window, isn't she?" he asked. The secretary nodded.

"Yes she is," he told them. The Doctor grabbed the secretary before he could respond and Freya slipped past him, running into the room.

"Slitheen headed north," the Doctor said into the phone the moment he burst into the room after Freya.

"On our way!" Rose responded through the phone.

"Over and out!" Jack retorted.

"This is so exciting!" Marie gushed. Freya climbed out the window and started running after Margaret as the Doctor wrestled off the secretary once more.

"Hurry up! Down the ladder!" the Doctor shouted at her.

"Leave the mayor alone!" the secretary shouted at the Doctor and her. Freya made it to the ladder as Margaret reached the ground. She was trying to run off while pulling her earring out. Freya grabbed onto the ladder and didn't step onto the rungs, choosing to try sliding down it.

It wasn't as easy as the telly made it look. The metal stung Freya's hands and the sudden stop at the bottom jarred her, but she was down a lot faster than she would have been if she'd climbed down on her own.

She started running after Margaret as the Doctor made his way down the ladder.

Freya met up with Jack at the entrance just as Margaret made her way out one of the exits.

"Where's everyone else?!" the Doctor shouted as he ran into Freya and Jack.

Masen and Marie ran up, Marie appearing quite out of breath. A few seconds later, Rose and Mickey crashed in, Mickey looking worse for wear and Rose looking plain irritated.

"It's not like she's going to outrun us though, is she?" Jack asked scathingly as he straightened himself.

Only for Margaret to vanish from their sights. Jack's expression dropped.

"She's got a teleport! That's cheating! Now we're never going to get her!" Jack exclaimed, frustrated. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and, with a smirk, pushed the button.

Margaret reappeared, running towards them. Her smug expression vanished at the sight of them. She pushed her own teleport once more, vanishing. The Doctor's grin grew. He clicked the screwdriver and she reappeared, closer. Freya reached up and took the sonic screwdriver from him, wanting to try it. When she disappeared once more, Freya pushed the button excitedly. Margaret was much closer to them this time and stopped running, panting.

"This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?" Margaret asked, irritated.

"You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet," the Doctor told her, his humor gone. Margaret shrugged, as if that meant nothing to her. Freya had a feeling that it did, in fact, mean nothing to her.

"Apart from that," she sniffed.

The group of them escorted Margaret back to the room where her model for the plant was set up. Masen took up position in front of the only door, and Marie was across the room, blocking the window. The two of them were prepared.

The Doctor started questioning Margaret, with Jack jumping in. Freya ignored them, instead noticing that the banner with the name intrigued her.

The letters were in the exact same shade of gold as the particles from the TARDIS. It read Amser Aur. Amser Aur? What did that mean? Shouldn't the TARDIS translate it for her?

As she thought that, she watched the letters rearrange themselves. She glanced over her shoulders, but they were still arguing. They had destroyed the model, it appeared. But no one noticed the letters change.

"Golden time," Freya murmured, reading off the title. It reminded Freya of Gwen's words. The gold lights. And the gold particles that were always around her in the TARDIS. Her gold bracelet that partially dissolved when the nanogenes tried changing her.

"How'd you think of the name?" the Doctor asked from right behind Freya. She jumped at his sudden words, not having expected him to be right behind her.

"What, Amser Aur? It's Welsh," Margaret said absently. The Doctor shook his head, staring intently at Freya. He could sense that the words meant something to her. Were throwing her. Something about them wasn't right. And he wanted to know what.

"But how did you think of it?" Freya asked softly.

"I chose it at random, that's all. I don't know. It just sounded good. Does it matter?" Margaret asked, her tone getting more irritated now.

"What does it mean?" Marie asked anxiously from the window.

"Golden time. That's what it means. Golden time. That color is following me," Freya said, turning to the Doctor.

"Following you?" the Doctor asked, eyebrows shooting up. Freya nodded.

"Gwyneth mentioned golden lights. And the….the bracelet," Freya drifted off awkwardly, glad she'd caught herself before saying the particles. She didn't want him getting upset with her over them. She had no idea where they came from, only that they helped her.

"How can they be following her? Is that important?" Rose asked, glancing between the two of them worriedly. The Doctor glanced back at Rose before turning to Freya, his expression serious.

A moment later, the seriousness melted away as he smiled and shook his head.

"Nah. Just a coincidence. Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. It's just one word. Gold. Never mind. Things to do. Margaret, we're going to take you home," the Doctor said, changing the topic.

"Hold on. Isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?" Jack asked incredulously.

"We get to visit their planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius," Freya said the word slowly, recalling it from her memory and struggling through it.

"Raxacorico…." Marie muttered.

"…fallapatorius," the Doctor finished.

"Raxacorico…fallapatorius?" Rose tried. The Doctor beamed at her, seemingly forgetting his past irritation with her in that moment.

"They have the death penalty," Margaret interrupted. A heavy silence fell over the room as Margaret glanced up from the ground. Her eyes slid around the room, watching everyone carefully.

"The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty with no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home and you take me to my death," Margaret said.

"Not my problem," the Doctor told her sharply. Freya felt a stab in her gut at the words.

The Doctor started ushering everyone out, Jack leading them with Rose and Mickey next, with Freya in the middle with Margaret. Marie and Masen followed closely behind and the Doctor followed, eyes glued to Margaret the entire time. The Doctor didn't seem to be willing to take any chances with Margaret trying to get away on their journey to the TARDIS.

"You can't be willing to let this happen. You looked upset at his words," Margaret murmured to Freya as they started walking. Freya's steps faltered for a moment as she regarded the alien out of the corner of her eye.

"I have no say in it," Freya whispered back, trying to ignore the feeling of guilt.

"You do. Your thoughts control him more than he'd like to admit. You can make him change his mind," Margaret retorted, her voice still low.

"What would I change it to? You're dangerous. You've killed people. Where could we take you that you wouldn't hurt people?" Freya shot back.

"I have other family members, distant family members. Please. Take me to them. We'll leave the planet alone," Margaret begged quietly.

"There's no point in trying to beg for your life," Masen interrupted her, glaring coldly at the alien. Freya's heart stuttered at the words. She lowered her head and walked with the rest of them to the TARDIS.

When they got there, Masen grabbed Freya's arm, keeping her back. The Doctor eyed him suspiciously.

"Freya and I need to talk. Won't take long. We'll be right here," Masen promised, his grip on Freya's arm not loosening. The Doctor's jaw set and he reluctantly stepped into the TARDIS, shutting the door.

But Freya could see it was cracked.

"He's listening," Freya pointed out. Masen nodded.

"He's not who I want to talk to you about. Take two steps back. She's probably at the door listening too," Masen grumbled.

"Marie?" Freya asked. Masen nodded, staring at Freya as he released her arm.

"Look, I know you don't know me. You don't know me, and you don't like me from the little you do know of me. But I need your permission," Masen begged. Freya stared at him, confused.

"Permission for what?" Freya questioned him. Masen dug around in his pocket and glanced at the TARDIS before holding his hand out to Freya. She tentatively pulled his fingers from his palm.

Sitting in the palm of his hand was a beautiful diamond ring.

Freya's eyes widened and her eyes shot back to Masen's. He nodded, pocketing the ring quickly.

"Best friend permission, I believe she called it earlier," Masen said awkwardly.

"And you…you need my permission? Me?" Freya choked, shocked at the sentiment. Masen nodded.

"She doesn't have parents to ask. And all of her other friends are…well, stupid," Masen admitted with a nervous laugh. Freya's own nervous laughter joined his.

"But you've only just been dating," Freya said, feeling at a loss. She hadn't seen this coming. She'd only met him twice now.

"We've been dating for a year and a half. You just haven't been here," Masen reminded her. His words stung, but they were true.

"Will you take care of her?" Freya asked quietly. Masen nodded. Freya's eyes searched his, looking for some hint of a lie. All she could find was earnest truth.

"I will always take care of her. I love her," Masen answered adamantly. And that was all Freya needed to know.

"Yes. Ask her soon," Freya said with a smile before going back to the TARDIS door. She pushed it open, only to notice the Doctor standing nearby with an overly innocent look on his face. An overly innocent, highly curious look on his face.

Everyone else appeared to be highly uncomfortable, except for Margaret. She looked quite pleased with herself.

"Freya, we thought we'd head home for the night. Come back in the morning before you take off?" Marie asked.

"Morning? I thought it'd take longer," Freya said, puzzled.

"We got an extra energy boost," Jack boasted. Freya nodded to them.

"See you in the morning then," Freya told them. Marie and Rose both hugged her and the guys gave her a half smile before they all headed for the TARDIS door.

"So what are we going to do til morning?" Freya asked Jack and the Doctor. Margaret was watching them, eyes glued on Freya. She shivered under the Slitheen's gaze.

"Cold?" the Doctor asked, shrugging his jacket off without waiting for an answer.

"I'm already wearing a jacket," Freya protested, but the Doctor ignored her as he helped tug her arms into the sleeves of his own jacket.

"We could always…have a bit of fun," Jack suggested, waggling his eyebrows at the two of them. The Doctor nailed him with a cold glare at his words and Freya forced herself to completely relax at his words.

He was just harmlessly flirting. That was what he did. Freya needed to get over whatever it was about him that set her off. He wasn't bad. The Doctor had accepted him.

With that in mind, Freya moved closer to him, tentatively touching his arm. She was instantly shot with the feeling that something was wrong, something with him was wrong.

But he wasn't. Freya probed the feeling for a moment. She couldn't identify where the feeling came from. It wasn't from her. Nor were her feelings of unease when they landed in a bad place.

Were they from the TARDIS? A hum of yes filled her mind. So the TARDIS knew Jack was wrong. But he wasn't wrong. Not yet. But he would be wrong. He would be wrong. And soonish.

But he wasn't now. Freya opened her eyes, noting that Jack was watching her carefully. Freya slowly removed her hand and hugged him lightly, hoping it would sufficiently tell him she was okay with him. He hugged her back, just as lightly as she was hugging him. When she pulled back, he had a genuine smile on his lips.

"Wasn't the type of fun I was suggesting, but it'll do," Jack said with a smile. Freya turned to the Doctor, noting his guarded expression. She held out her arms towards him and he all but ran into her arms, pulling her tightly into a hug. As if it were the last hug he'd ever give her.

"Careful. You'll suffocate her," Jack warned, but the Doctor ignored him.

"What changed? What makes you accept him now?" the Doctor wanted to know. Freya scrunched up her eyebrows, trying to think of how she could say what she meant. She unconsciously placed her hand on the TARDIS console for support.

"He was wrong. Will be wrong. And it was…scary. He shouldn't be wrong. But he will be. But he isn't. I think the TARDIS helped me straighten it out," Freya explained at the urging of the hum of the TARDIS in her mind.

"So the TARDIS is why you keep getting those feelings? Why? Why is she giving you those feelings? She doesn't even give them to me. Are you sure you're human?" the Doctor asked her critically. Freya nodded.

"You saw the sonograms from when I was a fetus," Freya pointed out.

"Sounds like an interesting story," Jack said with a wink. The Doctor glared at him but said nothing.

Freya's stomach rumbled, interrupting the silence. The Doctor smiled at her, and Jack just laughed.

"We just ate lunch a few hours ago," Jack commented.

"I didn't. I felt sick," Freya muttered.

"Come on then. Let's get you some food. Coming, Margaret? I'd rather not leave you with the Doctor as he focuses on fixing the TARDIS," Jacks said, after a glance at the Doctor. The Doctor glanced at Freya before staring at Jack, and Jack nodded in return.

"I won't. Come on," Jack ordered, giving Freya a light shove in front of before grabbing Margaret's arm.

He dragged the two of them to the kitchen where he whipped up sandwiches for the three of them. Freya started eating hers only to feel nauseous once more. She dashed out of the room to the bathroom, which became adjacent to the kitchen.

She was retching before she could even pull the door shut. Warm hands held her hair back and she heard Jack behind her telling Margaret to come closer to them.

"Looks like morning sickness to me," Margaret commented when Freya was done retching. Freya flinched at her words.

"Doubt it. It'd be too early for that," Jack shot back.

"Too early? How early?" Margaret asked curiously.

"A day. Considering they only did it a day ago, I think this would constitute as too early," Jack shot back.

"I can go get the Doctor. Tell him you're not feeling well," Jack offered, but Freya shook her head as she tried straightening herself out.

"No. I'm fine. Just must've caught a bug," Freya told him.

"Still, I'll go grab you some medicine. In case you get any ideas, the med-bay is in between here and the door. If you so much as look at her the wrong way, you won't have to worry about that public execution. I'll make sure you end up with much worse," Jack promised, a gleam in his eyes. Margaret scoffed at her.

"I'm still hungry. Go run along," Margaret told her as Freya stumbled back to her chair, shoving her plate away. The moment Jack left the room, Margaret sat down next to her.

"Are you really gonna let them take me back to my death?" Margaret asked Freya. She swallowed, not daring to look up at the woman.

"They are in charge. Not me. I'm just a companion," Freya told Margaret.

"I bet if you asked, he wouldn't do it," Margaret urged. But Freya shook her head, looking up at Margaret.

"How do we know what you say is true? What if we drop you off with your other relatives, only for you to go after the earth again? Or go after us? How can we be sure you're telling the truth? You haven't proven to be trustworthy," Freya shot at her.

"But how could I? You mentioned earlier that you get feelings. I can't pretend to understand them, but I want to know one thing. Do you get a feeling from me right now? A feeling of malice?" Margaret asked her earnestly. Freya wanted to shake her head but there was an inkling of suspicion to her.

"There's something off about you. About what you're saying," Freya finally said. Margaret's eyes widened.

"If you take me back to my relatives, I will not attack you or do anything," Margaret swore, and with her words Freya felt the truth.

But there was also what she wasn't saying. And that was what upset Freya.

"I'll talk to him. But I make no promises," Freya finally said as Jack entered the room.

"Talk to who about what?" Jack asked suspiciously. Freya merely glanced down.

"We were talking about her pregnancy scare that I induced," Margaret lied swiftly. Jack didn't appear to believe her but handed Freya the medicine nevertheless.

"Come on. Big ears is getting impatient," Jack told her as he helped her to her feet. Freya swallowed the pill quickly before allowing Jack to tug her and Margaret back to the console room. The Doctor was fiddling with a lever but jumped up the moment they entered the room.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Jack began, staring straight at the Doctor. His eyes shifted towards Freya for a moment and he winked at her before his attention focused solely on the Doctor.

"What?" the Doctor asked, not really paying attention. Jack made his way closer to the Doctor, devious smile on his lips. Freya noticed his playful look as he shot her another wink.

"Considering Freya and my reconciliation, I thought we could give a threesome a go," Jack said swiftly. The Doctor jumped at his words, spinning around quickly, wide-eyed. He quickly made his way around the console, away from Jack.

"Excuse me?" the Doctor asked in disbelief. Jack started to follow the Doctor around the TARDIS console, only for the Doctor to dash away, stopping right in front of Freya.

"We'll leave your sorry arse here," the Doctor warned him.

"So you have been thinking about my ass," Jack said, scanning the Doctor's body with his eyes. Freya couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the Doctor so uncomfortable.

"Oi! Is this the two of you teaming up against me?" the Doctor asked, spinning to glare at Freya. She couldn't get the smile off her lips fast enough. The Doctor's own lips tugged into a smile as he hugged her.

Only to stiffen as Jack wrapped his arms around Freya and, consequently, the Doctor as well. The Doctor pulled back quickly, only for Jack to frown.

"We'll discuss this later," Jack said with a wink.

"I gather it's not always this, having to wait," Margaret spoke up. The Doctor stared at her, all amusement leaving the room. Margaret continued.

"I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go. You butchered my family and then ran for the stars. Am I right? But not this time. At last you have consequences. How does it feel?" Margaret goaded him. Freya's stomach dropped at her words.

"I didn't butcher them," the Doctor told her stubbornly.

"Don't answer back. That's what she wants," Jack warned him, but the Doctor shook his head.

"I didn't. What about you? You had an emergency teleport. You didn't zap them to safety, did you?" the Doctor shot back.

"It only carries one. I had to fly without coordinates. I ended up on a skip in the Isle of Dogs. It wasn't funny," she insisted as the Doctor let out a laugh. Him and Jack met eyes and they both let out a laugh.

"Sorry. It is a bit funny," the Doctor said, a small smile on his lips.

"Do we have to bring her back?" Freya asked, tugging on her ear nervously.

All eyes zoomed in on her.

"I mean, she said she has family members we could leave her with. And she wouldn't bother us. If we did that. She was telling the truth about it," Freya babbled.

"You weren't in here for that conversation. How did you know she had family members left? And what was she telling the truth about?" the Doctor asked her sharply. Freya immediately started running her now shaking hands through her hair. But the more she thought about it, the worse she felt about bringing Margaret to her death.

She just…couldn't.

"She talked to me about it. Twice. She swore if we left her with her family, she'd never come after Earth. Or hurt us. But if we didn't, she didn't promise she wouldn't try something," Freya quickly let the words spill out.

"She can't do anything to us, not in her condition," Jack pointed out, but Freya shook her head.

"No. She can. She can and she will. But she won't. Not if we take her to her family. We can't…we can't just let her die," Freya begged. The Doctor's eyes were cold on her.

"We can. We can and we will," the Doctor told her, his tone leaving no room for questions. His words shut Freya down. She nodded and moved to the seat, pulling her knees to her chest as she rested her head on her knees.

The next thing she knew, someone touched her shoulders. She jerked up, eyes wide, only to see Jack standing over her with a sympathetic smile on his lips.

"Margaret convinced Doc to go on a quasi-date with him. I figured we could make use of him being gone and use his fancy-schmancy lab to see what made you nauseous earlier. At least get rid of the pregnancy fear that Margaret was planting in you," Jack offered. Freya smiled at him and allowed him to help her to her feet.

"He's not angry at you, you know. He's just angry Margaret was trying to manipulate you," Jack told her on their way to the med-bay. Freya shook her head.

"She wasn't trying to manipulate me. She…she just wants a second chance," Freya stated, feeling shocked at how true the words felt. That was the complete and utter truth. Jack shook his head as he pushed the door to the med-bay open.

"Either way, let's get you checked out before they come blundering back in here. Then we'd really have a lot of explaining to do."

Jack helped her onto one of the examination tables and started flitting around the room, grabbing random things and bringing them over to her.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Freya asked him, intrigued. Jack shrugged at her as he powered on a tiny rectangular device.

"Nope. But most of the stuff in here is close to what I used in the 51st century, so I have a general idea. This right here is probably the oldest thing in here, but I feel most comfortable with it. It'll take a bit of your blood and let us know if you're sick," Jack told her, gently taking her hand. The device, true to his word, pricked her finger and took a bit of the blood. After a moment, Jack frowned.

"Says your body is healthy. Well, healthy enough. Slightly dehydrated. The beginnings of the flu. That's probably it. The rest of it's in some weird circles, but if it were important it'd translate," Jack reasoned, powering the device off. He pulled open one of the bottles he'd brought to the bed and handed her a tablet.

"Flu antibiotics. Counters it before it really starts. Or gets worse, I suppose. I figured it was the flu, so I grabbed it already," Jack said, gathering the bottles to put them up.

"What else did you think it could be?" Freya asked, noting that he had quite a few bottles. Jack shrugged.

"Just a couple other common illnesses. Come on. I'm gonna work on getting the extrapolator better wired in before Doc gets back. Drink this," Jack said, tossing her a bottle of blue-colored liquid.

"What is it?" Freya asked before she could stop herself.

"Super-hydrating water. Come on," Jack said. Freya followed him out of the med-bay and to the main room where she settled herself on the captain's chair and took tiny sips of the banana-flavored water. It threw her, the first sip did. She had been expecting….well, water. But it obviously wasn't.

But the effects were almost instant. She started feeling better rather quickly.

"Going good?" Jack asked her. Freya nodded at him.

"Thanks for the help," Freya said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Don't mention it. We can check again in a few weeks to make sure you aren't pregnant, if you want to. And I'm sure we can take care of it," Jack told her. Freya repressed the shiver that went down her spine at his words.

"Take care of it?" Freya repeated hollowly. Jack nodded.

"Yeah. I'm sure the Doctor has some safe pills you can take that would get rid of it without harming you," Jack told her dismissively. Freya shook her head, biting back the horror she felt. She forced a small smile to her lips.

"We…we shouldn't have to think about that. I doubt I'm able to have children. My mother always told me I'd never be a mother. She had only been able to have one child, and she was barely able to have me, and look how I turned out," Freya said, glancing at the ground.

She remembered that day clearly. She'd been ten and cradling her only toy, a run-down doll her grandmother had given her five years before for her birthday. She'd been calling it her baby when her mother had yelled at her to put the toy away.

Her mother had told her that it was unlikely she'd ever have a baby. That was the first time Freya heard the entire story of her birth, of the doctors' test results, of her almost death in the first few days.

"Why didn't you say that earlier? It woulda kept the scare away," Jack complained, staring at her. Freya wiped her glassy eyes with the back of her hand.

"It wouldn't have been a scare," Freya finally admitted. Jack's eyes widened at her words but he didn't have a chance to respond. The TARDIS started jerking and the extrapolator started sparking. Smoke started rolling and the electricity went straight to the ceiling.

"What's happening?" Freya shouted over the noise.

"I don't know!" Jack shouted back, quickly trying to disconnect the extrapolator.

"Was it a trap? Margaret had it!" Freya pointed out, her heart sinking. That was what she had meant. If they'd just agreed to take her to her family, she would have taken the extrapolator out of the main setting. But they hadn't. So she was going to get to her family in her own way.

Freya winced as she heard the TARDIS scream in her head. The TARDIS was in a lot of pain. Excruciating pain. Freya was thrown out of the chair, slamming into the metal grate. Gold particles quickly flew up around her, hovering close to her skin, almost holding her as the TARDIS shook.

The door flew open and the Doctor ran in, eyes wild. Margaret was behind him, her expression positively gleeful,

"What the hell are you doing?" the Doctor shouted at Jack. The gold particles stayed around Freya, growing slightly in number. Margaret moved closer to Freya, eyeing the gold that hovered around her.

"It just went crazy!" Jack shouted back at the Doctor.

"It's the rift! Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's going to disappear! It's the extrapolator. I've disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine. It's using the TARDIS. I can't stop it!" Jack shouted in horror. The TARDIS gave another jerk and Freya gasped at the pain she felt. Margaret pulled her to her feet, looking as if she was helping Freya.

But Freya knew otherwise. She could feel it. The gold particles moved upward, quite a few surrounding her throat.

"Never mind Cardiff, it's going to rip open the planet!" the Doctor told them, looking quite lost as to what he could do. Freya glanced down at Margaret to see that she had taken her arm out of the body suit.

"Sorry," Margaret told her, her voice only tinging on regret as Margaret's claw clamped on Freya's throat, lifting her in the air.

"One wrong move and she snaps like a promise," Margaret promised, catching the attention of the Doctor and Freya.

"I might've known," the Doctor said bitterly, staring at her. His eyes widened slightly as they noticed the golden particles that were seeping into her skin around her neck.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it. You, fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet," Margaret ordered Jack. Jack glanced over at the Doctor, whose eyes were glued to Freya. Margaret squeezed Freya's neck a bit tighter, causing Freya's airwave to start closing. Freya's hands shot up to her neck, gripping the claw for leverage. The Doctor nodded to Jack, who quickly pulled the extrapolator up and placed it at Margaret's feet.

"How?" Freya choked out. How had Margaret tricked them with the extrapolator? Both Jack and the Doctor knew of them – that much Freya was certain. How was she able to trick them?

"The extrapolator was programmed to go into a second plan in the event of my capture. To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rit. And what a power source it found. I'm back on schedule, thanks to you," Margaret said gleefully.

"The rift's going to convulse. You'll destroy the whole planet," Jack protested angrily.

"And you with it!" Margaret retorted cheerfully. She stepped onto the extrapolator, Freya still locked in her grip.

"I might even give you a second chance. Since you were willing to give me one. You alone," Margaret told Freya. Freya's eyes widened at her words. Because she would rather stay with the Doctor and die than go somewhere alone.

"Stand back, boys. Surf's up," Margaret told Jack and the Doctor. Freya glanced down at the TARDIS console, wishing something could be done. But the TARDIS was in pain. The TARDIS could do little.

Except….

One of the TARDIS console panels cracked open and a bright light hit Margaret in the face. The gold particles that had been around Freya before roared to life, lightly enveloping her body as Margaret stared, entranced, into the light. A wall of gold particles blocked Freya's sight of what was inside the light.

_Not yet_, the TARDIS whispered in her mind.

"Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart," the Doctor said coldly. Margaret, still in the trancelike state, shrugged.

"So sue me," she responded, eyes not leaving the light.

"It's not just any old power source. It's the TARDIS. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe," the Doctor said, a hint of pride in his words.

"It'll make wonderful scrap," Margaret said absently.

"What's that light? And what's Freya surrounded in?" Jack demanded anxiously.

"The light's the heart of the TARDIS. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul," the Doctor said, ignoring Jack's second question.

"It's so bright," Margaret said in awe.

"Look at it, Margaret," the Doctor urged. Freya wished to see what he was talking about. But the TARDIS said no. And she trusted the TARDIS. Margaret murmured something else and the Doctor urged her on.

Then, Margaret's grip slackened. Freya crumbled forward, falling onto the console next to the open panel. The gold particles blocked her vision entirely, surrounding her in a haze of gold. She could feel some of them soaking into her skin. Some, but not all of them. They felt warm.

Only this time, they felt slightly intrusive. But they calmed down as well.

"Don't look at it! Freya, close your eyes!" the Doctor shouted. Freya's eyes stayed open, but it didn't matter; the gold particles still blocked her view. After a moment, two hands pulled her away from the TARDIS console. Freya jumped in shock and the gold particles slid away. Most of them dissipated, but some of them moved closer, as if they were being pulled into her.

"Freya, what were those?" the Doctor asked her seriously. Freya shook her head.

"I don't know. The TARDIS does that sometimes," Freya admitted nervously. The Doctor looked borderline angry.

"Freya, this is serious. Those particles…those are part of the TARDIS's soul. She's putting her soul in you. That's dangerous. That can kill you. That will kill you," the Doctor told her. Freya shook her head, glancing at the console.

"It…it won't. She won't let it. I don't know why, but she wants me to be surrounded by them. I've had them around me since I got on the TARDIS," Freya admitted nervously.

"So you've been absorbing them all this time?" the Doctor asked incredulously.

"They make me warm. And safe," Freya whispered.

And she was pulled tightly into the Doctor.

"We'll do some sort of scan on you later. Make sure they aren't harming you," the Doctor told her.

"No need. I scanned her earlier cause she felt sick. We got her some medicine and she's fine. Oncoming flu and dehydration. But she's good now," Jack told them. The Doctor nodded into her shoulder.

"What happened to Margaret? Did she burn up? Carry out her own death sentence?" Jack asked, pulling their attention back to what was going on. The Doctor pulled away from Freya and bent down over Margaret's body suit.

"I don't think she's dead," Freya said quietly.

"Me either. She looked into the heart of the TARDIS. Even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic, gets inside your head. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts," the Doctor mused as he reached into the body suit. He pulled out a large egg with odd looking tentacles…things…sticking out of the top of it.

"She's an egg," Jack said, not sounding amused. The Doctor nodded.

"She only wanted a second chance," Freya recounted.

"And now she can have one. We can drop her of on Raxacoricofallapatorious in the hatchery and she'll have a second chance at life," the Doctor said, sounding quite glad of that face.

"But she's an egg," Jack repeated.

"She's an egg," Freya agreed.

"We're all powered up. We can leave now, unless you want to wait til morning?" the Doctor asked Freya. She shook her head.

"I'll send them a text saying we had to leave. Let's go," Freya said, pulling out her phone and sending the text. She could sense the Doctor's eagerness to leave, and Jack didn't seem too far behind him.

It was time for another adventure.

**What do you guys think? I liked this chapter a lot, and I hope you do too. I have a few things I wanted to address: **

**1. Marie. Marie's got an Amy-like personality to her. We see that here. She really does care about Freya, but she has a hard time expressing it. She isn't the best at expressing how she feels about important things.**

**2. Masen. Yes, he's important. Yes, there is a purpose for him being in the story. No, I can't tell you yet. :) It'll take awhile, and he may seem sort of pointless, but he's important. **

**3. That chase scene after Margaret. It may seem out of character at the moment to you, but it is not. Trust me. Spoilers. ;)**

**I know this chapter probably left you with a ton of questions, but just go with it. I have these things planned out. I am actually starting on writing chapter 14 today, so I know what I'm doing, to an extent. ;) And as for Freya's reactions now, understand that she really doesn't understand love. She hasn't truly seen it before. Therefor, having sex doesn't complicate things with her and the Doctor, in her mind. She only sees it as him saving her life. She doesn't have any real preconceived ideas and expectations. She just sees it as him being there for her and protecting her, like he's said he would. **

**I just felt like I had to explain that before I got questions. :) I hope you guys liked it. Please leave me some reviews if you have more questions about things you didn't understand and I'll do my best to explain them!**

**-A**


	11. Game Station of Daleks

**Chapter 11- Game Station of Daleks**

They had had a wonderful month. The three of them had been having the most fantastic of times.

After dropping Margaret off on Raxacoricofallapatorius, they'd gone to Japan. Japan in 1336. They'd been chased off, of course, but that was usual. This time, it was only humans that chased them. Seemed the Samurai had an issue with the Doctor. He wouldn't tell them what it was, but Freya got the feeling it wasn't the first time he nearly blew up a few temples in the area.

The Doctor then took them to the planet Cheem so Freya could plant the cuttings she'd collected. Freya hadn't been sure it was the right time, but both the Doctor and the TARDIS reassured her that the trees were mature enough that they could be planted. After being planted, they would thrive and become the talking trees Freya had encountered on the Observation Deck.

Now, they were just relaxing. Just floating along in the time vortex, shields down, enjoying some down time. The Doctor had propped the doors open and Jack had brought out some blankets, pillows, etc., and the three of them curled up with their backs against the console, eyes staring out at the swirling vortex.

"We probably shouldn't be staring out like this," the Doctor warned them as Freya settled carefully between the two men.

"Calm down Doc. All we can see is a swirl of colors," Jack responded lightly, pulling the blankets over them.

And they'd sat like that for hours, staring at nothing yet everything all at once.

"Where would you go, if you could go anywhere?" Jack finally asked, breaking their silence.

"Who are you asking?" Freya shot back, only for Jack to smile down at her.

"Both of you. I don't know much about either of you," Jack pointed out. Freya closed her eyes and snuggled in between both of them, glad they took the hint and moved closer to her. It was perfect.

"I don't know. Maybe the twenties, in America? I remember learning about that time period in school and wanting to see the joy that was all around," Freya said with a sigh.

"What about you, big ears?" Jack teased.

"Oi!" the Doctor retorted automatically. Freya smiled at him and reached up, tugging on his ear.

"They aren't that big," Freya told him with a grin.

"Or maybe she just likes big ears. Big ears, big feet, big...other parts," Jack said with an exaggerated wink. Freya turned a deep shade of red with Jack's words, instantly burrowing her face into the Doctor's jumper.

"No teasing my companion," the Doctor shot back at Jack, a stern look on his face. Jack pretended to look offended as Freya slowly pulled her head away from the Doctor's jumper.

"What does that make me then?" Jack complained, winking once more at Freya.

"A pain in the arse," the Doctor told him, a cheeky grin in place. Jack's entire demeanor became quite suggestive at that.

"Always talking about my arse, you are," Jack teased before his expression turned quasi-serious.

"But really. Where would you like to go? You've probably been everywhere twice," Jack commented.

"I'd like to go home. Just for one day, to see everything," the Doctor said quietly.

"Why can't you?" Freya asked him softly.

"My home planet, Gallifrey, is gone. Not just gone, but no one can ever go there. It's been locked in time," the Doctor said stiffly. Freya shifted closer to him, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Jack moved as well, hugging the two of them.

Until the Doctor jumped.

"Keep your hands to yourself!" the Doctor barked at Jack. Jack and Freya separated, Freya glancing between the two of them in confusion. Jack looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"What did you do?" Freya asked Jack suspiciously. Jack's grin intensified as he hugged Freya once more.

Only this time, she felt him grab her bum. She yelped and jumped, just as the Doctor leaned over her and slapped Jack on the back of the head.

"Quit grabbing bums!" the Doctor ordered.

"But the two of you have such nice ones," Jack complained. Freya's cheeks flushed and she shifted closer to the Doctor. His arm automatically went around her, glaring at Jack. After a few minutes, the three of them relaxed once more.

The Doctor was thinking. When they'd met Freya's grandmother, she'd told the Doctor he would make Freya's greatest wish come true. What was her greatest wish? He could figure out. Jack had opened the door to asking deep questions. But did he want to know what her greatest wish was? What if it was something he couldn't do, like make her parents love her?

"What's your guys' greatest wishes?" the Doctor finally asked before losing courage.

"Oh. Now we're getting somewhere," Jack teased. The Doctor just stared at him.

"I want to have my memories back. I woke up without two years of my life, while I was still working for the Time Agency. I want them back," Jack told them. Freya nodded. She'd heard him say that before. But the Doctor hadn't. The Doctor glanced at Freya, waiting for her to speak. Freya's eyes slid to the ground.

"I want to be a mum. One day, I want to be a loving mum. That's my biggest wish," Freya muttered quietly.

The room was filled with silence.

And Freya was suddenly filled with a horrible feeling.

She lunged to her feet, throwing herself at the console. Her hands started hitting buttons, pulling levers, flipping switches.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor shouted as Jack threw himself at the doors, closing them tightly.

"Something's wrong! Terribly wrong! Need to get away," Freya gasped. She hit another button just as a white light filled the room, trying to pull the three of them apart.

The light faded quickly, but it had pulled the TARDIS.

They had landed.

"What happened?" Jack asked as the TARDIS's lights dimmed.

"We've been transported. Someone was trying to beam us out of here," the Doctor said. Freya moved for the door, slowly opening it.

Nothing.

"Freya! What are you doing?" the Doctor asked, moving quickly towards her.

"Don't we need to find out what's out there?" Freya asked in confusion.

"Yeah. As a group. You're the one that got the bad feeling," the Doctor pointed out.

"We have to go out there. It's…it's important," Freya said. The TARDIS must've supplied her with that knowledge.

"Define important. Is it important as in has to happen, like when you got kidnapped?" Jack asked suspiciously. Freya shook her head.

"The TARDIS didn't apologize. It can't be too bad," Freya reasoned as she left the TARDIS. The boys scrambled out behind her quickly, and Freya observed the cupboard they'd landed in. Nothing out of the ordinary. She tentatively pushed open the door to the cupboard.

They were in a spaceship, she assumed. There was two rows of computers leading to a woman wired into a massive computer. She had a white glow to her. Freya automatically took a step closer. The poor woman. It had to have been painful for her to be in that condition.

"INTRUDERS!" a tinny voice shouted. Freya glanced away from the wired woman and noticed a robot facing them.

"Freya!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing her arm.

But he didn't have a chance to pull her away.

A beam shot out of the robot's arm and hit Freya in the chest. Her entire body was shocked. It was as if every atom in her body was being pulled apart.

And then it all went black, blissfully black.

The Doctor crumpled to the floor, staring wide-eyed at the small pile of ash. She had been in his grip. He had been holding her. And she was…she was dead. Disintegrated while still in his grip. His fingers shakily brushed the ash. He'd killed her.

He should have made her stay back. Why did he let her go first? She never went first. Why did she decide to go first today, the one day the first person was to be killed?

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jack shouting, waving around a tiny gun. A tiny gun, the Doctor noticed, that took out the robot in one shot.

But it didn't matter. Freya was gone. And it was all his fault.

"Doc, get up! Something's wrong," Jack urged him. The Doctor allowed Jack to pull him to his feet, but couldn't even find it in himself to pretend he cared that something was wrong. Freya was dead.

Another death on his head.

Jack's own expression held heartbreak, but the Doctor was sure half of it was just a reflection of his own pain. There were two distinct tear trails down Jack's cheeks. The workers, the Doctor noticed, were all shifted away from their stations, staring in horror at Jack and the Doctor.

But the Doctor didn't care.

"It doesn't matter," the Doctor murmured. But Jack shook his head.

"We have to figure out what's wrong. Freya said something was off. But the TARDIS didn't warn her. The TARDIS warned her on Lytien. It should have warned her," Jack begged. The Doctor shook his head.

"Not if she wanted to give Freya a few minutes of peace," the Doctor said hollowly.

"Stay here. I'll go check the TARDIS," Jack ordered the Doctor.

Because Jack didn't like seeing the Doctor like that.

The Doctor looked so utterly hopeless. It was like Freya was his soul.

Without her, he was nothing.

The Doctor's eyes stared at Freya's remains, wishing at least her necklace would have remained. If her necklace would have remained, he'd have something of her. Not much, admittedly, but something. But the necklace and the ring he'd given her were gone. All he had was the new necklace he'd given her, the one he had to go back in time and give her younger self someday. Someday when he had a different face, a face with brown eyes. And she didn't even know that. All she knew was that someone else gave it to her. He'd never had the chance to explain to her that it would most certainly be him giving to her, once he regenerated.

"Doc! Guess what?" Jack shouted as he ran back in the room. The Doctor barely managed to lift his eyes to Jack, Jack who looked much too happy.

"She's still alive! It was a transport beam! Like the one that almost got us! She's still alive!" Jack shouted. The Doctor's entire being felt uplifted at the words as he hugged Jack tightly.

She was alive.

And he was going to find her.

Freya woke up sore and lying on the ground. Her eyes slowly lifted only to slam shut.

When she worked up the courage to open her eyes again, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Daleks. Daleks everywhere, surrounding her.

The Doctor had said they were all dead.

But they weren't. They were alive.

One Dalek had decimated the base they'd been in. One Dalek, one weak Dalek. This?

Freya's blood ran cold. This many Daleks could destroy the universe. They could destroy everything.

"Alert! Alert! We are detected!" one of the Daleks screeched. Freya jumped back at the sudden words. The Daleks moved closer to her.

"It is the Doctor. He has located us. Open communication channel!" a different Dalek ordered.

"The female will stand. Stand!" the first Dalek ordered her. Freya jumped to her feet. Her vision tilted and she fell back against the wall, only for one of the Daleks to prod her into an upright position.

In front of them, a holographic screen appeared. The Doctor was there. His gaze was hard. Impossibly hard. Even when he saw Freya.

"I will talk to the Doctor," one of the Daleks demanded. The Doctor looked none too happy with the Dalek's demand.

"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" he said cheerily. It was his defense. Freya could see how devastated the Doctor was.

"The Dalek stratagem nears completion. The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene," the Dalek droned. The Doctor appeared unamused at the Dalek's words.

"Oh really? Why's that then?" the Doctor asked bitingly.

"We have your associate," the Dalek stated. The Dalek behind her pushed her forward. Freya refused to fall this time. She kept her face as neutral as she could. The Doctor's eyes bore into hers.

"You will obey or she will be exterminated," the Dalek practically crooned at the Doctor.

"No," the Doctor said firmly. The Daleks appeared surprised at his sudden comment. They didn't know what to do about it.

"Explain yourself," the Dalek commanded. The Doctor's hard expression shifted slightly to one of a higher intensity. A higher certainty.

"I said no," the Doctor retorted tauntingly.

"What is the meaning of this negative?" the Dalek questioned, its metallic tone almost getting panicky.

"It means no," the Doctor reiterated.

"But she will be destroyed," the Daleks stated.

"NO!" the Doctor shouted at them, the fury in his eyes rolling even through the hologram.

"Because this is what I'm going to do," the Doctor continued, eyes glued on the Daleks.

"I'm going to rescue her. I'm going to save Freya O'Leary from the middle of the Dalek fleet and then I'm going to save the Earth. And then, just to finish off, I'm going to wipe every stinking Dalek out of the sky!" the Doctor roared.

The Daleks appeared to be quite taken aback by his tone, by his words.

"But you have no weapons, no defenses, no plan," the Daleks stated. The Doctor grinned on the hologram, fury still present in his eyes.

"Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death? Freya?" the Doctor said, glancing directly at her.

"Yeah?" Freya asked as loudly as she could.

"I'm coming to get you," the Doctor said as he raised his sonic screwdriver at the screen. The image of the Doctor faded instantly. All of the Daleks immediately started freaking out, shouting over one another and flashing their lights like crazy. And they continuously shouted exterminate.

After a few minutes, one of the Daleks's eyestalk swiveled to rest on her.

"You know the Doctor. You understand him. You will predict his actions," the Dalek ordered. Freya drew a deep breath, steadying herself.

"You want me to predict?" she asked. Every eye was on her.

"I predict that you will all die today," Freya told them, enunciating each of her words as she stared at them.

"TARDIS detected in flight," a Dalek shouted.

"Launch missiles. Exterminate!" another Dalek ordered. Freya's blood drained from her face at the Dalek's orders. The TARDIS didn't have defenses. It would kill him.

Around her, the TARDIS started materializing. Freya's eyes widened. The Dalek that had been next to her was inside as well.

"Freya, get down!" the Doctor shouted at her. Freya wasted no time dropping to the ground as the Dalek screamed its shrill battle cry. A blast shook her slightly and she glanced up to see the Dalek was dead.

Her eyes shot back to the Doctor and Jack. Jack had a gun in his hands and the Doctor just rushed at her, sweeping her into his arms. Freya's arms wrapped around him as well. She winced slightly as his grip tightened around her.

The Doctor pulled back only far enough for him to lean down and capture her lips with his. The kiss was different from the kisses he'd given her before. This one was chalked full of desperation, of fear, of regret. Of pain.

When he finally pulled back, he stared at her intently.

"Are you okay?" he asked seriously, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'm fine," Freya responded quietly.

"Hey, don't I get a hug and a kiss?" Jack asked. The Doctor glanced over at Jack, as did Freya.

"Maybe later," the Doctor told him flippantly. Jack winked at Freya.

"I was talking to her," Jack teased. Freya slowly untangled herself from the Doctor and moved to Jack, allowing his arms to wrap around her as well.

"I thought you said they were extinct. The Daleks. You said they were all dead. How are they alive?" Freya asked from Jack's arms.

"One minute they're the greatest threat in the Universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space," Jack explained to her.

"They went off to fight a bigger war. The Time War," the Doctor explained grimly to Jack.

"I thought that was just a legend," Jack said with a frown, his forehead wrinkling up at the thought. The Doctor shook his head, a look of anguish filling his stormy eyes.

"I was there. The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords, with the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them. I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing," the Doctor said angrily, kicking at the ruins of the Dalek Jack had shot. Freya pulled away from Jack, moving towards the Doctor.

"What are we going to do?" Freya asked quietly. It'd taken all they had to stop the one Dalek, and she was the one who'd brought it to life. What would they do now? There were hundreds, thousands of them.

"The Daleks have got the answers. Let's go and meet the neighbors," the Doctor said pleasantly, throwing open the TARDIS doors and marching straight out. Jack and Freya ran after him, Freya latching onto the Doctor's arm the moment they exited the TARDIS.

"EXTERMINATE!" the Daleks started shouting the moment they stepped out. Freya's eyes screwed shut at the sound, only to open again when the Daleks stopped shouting.

"Is that it? Useless! Nul points. Our forcefield can hold anything," the Doctor boasted.

"Almost anything," Jack muttered anxiously. The Doctor gave him a slightly irritated look.

"Yes, but I wasn't going to tell them that. Thanks," the Doctor told Jack, who looked quite sheepish and muttered a quick apology. The Doctor turned his eyes to the Daleks, noting that they all looked almost apprehensive.

"Do you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek Homeworld? The Oncoming Storm. You might've removed all your emotions but I reckon right down deep in your DNA, there's one little spark left, and that's fear. Doesn't it just burn when you face me? So tell me, how did you survive the Time War?" the Doctor asked angrily.

"They survived through me."

The voice was booming, the suddenness of it making Freya jump in fear. Lights came on, revealing what Freya assumed was a sort of massive, more spread out Dalek form. In the center was the Dalek creature itself, looking almost smug for a one-eyed creature with no real face.

"Freya, Captain, this is the Emperor of the Daleks," the Doctor said calmly.

"You destroyed us, Doctor. The Dalek race died in your inferno, but my ship survived, falling through time, crippled but alive," the Emperor boomed.

"I get it," the Doctor said suddenly, only for the Daleks around them to start shrieking at him to not interrupt. It unnerved Freya. They all seemed…a bit mad.

The Doctor seemed completely undeterred by this. He took a half a step forward, glaring at them.

"I think you're forgetting something. I'm the Doctor, and if there's one thing I can do, it's talk. I've got five billion languages, and you haven't got one way of stopping me. So if anybody's going to shut up, it's you! Okey doke. So where were we?" the Doctor asked, his tone morphing from fury to mock cheer. The shift of his emotions was so quick it nearly gave Freya whiplash. But the calmness that he adopted terrified her. Oncoming Storm indeed.

"We waited here in the dark space, damaged but rebuilding. Centuries passed, and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth, harvesting the waste of humanity. The prisoners, the refugees, the dispossessed. They all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted. The seed of the human race is perverted. Only one cell in a billion was fit to be nurtured," the Emperor boomed. Freya felt sick at his words.

"So you created an army of Daleks out of the dead," the Doctor stated grimly.

"Human dead? I thought the Daleks couldn't be like humans," Freya said, puzzled.

"Those words are blasphemy. Daleks are not like humans!" the Emperor countered immediately. The other Daleks echoed him, ordering her to not blaspheme.

But wasn't blasphemy a human concept?

"Everything human has been purged. I cultivated pure and blessed Dalek," the Emperor preened.

"Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?" the Doctor asked, mirroring Freya's previous thoughts.

"I reached into the dirt and made new life. I am the God of all Daleks!" the Emperor roared.

"Worship him!" the Daleks began crying.

"They're insane," the Doctor breathed, "Hiding in silence for hundreds of years, that's enough to drive anyone mad. But it's worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity. You hate your own existence. And that makes them more deadly than ever. We're going," the Doctor decided, pulling Jack and Freya along after him into the TARDIS.

They ignored the cries of the Daleks as the Doctor slammed the door shut, resting his head against the closed door in grief.

After a moment, he popped up and rushed for the console, setting them off.

When they landed, the three of them bound out. They were back where they had been before. A place, from what Freya could figure, was called Floor 500.

"Turn everything up. All transmitters full power, wide open. Now! Do it!" the Doctor ordered. A man stared at him, perplexed.

"What does this do?" the man questioned the Doctor.

"Stops the Daleks from transmatting on board," the Doctor told him simply.

"Are there still other people on board, or has everyone been taken off?" the Doctor asked.

"There weren't enough shuttles. We've got about a hundred people stranded on Floor Zero," a woman told them. The Doctor shook his head, his jaw stiff.

"Oh my God. The Fleet is moving. They're on their way," the man exclaimed in horror.

"Doctor, what are we going to do?" Freya asked in horror. The Doctor stared blankly at the sky, looking completely lost.

And then he was running. Running and pulling cords out of the machines.

"Oh, they're thick. The Daleks are thick. Because guess what? Guess what they left me with? A transmitter. A massive transmitter. This station, am I correct? Of course I am. If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it, anyone?" the Doctor asked around excitedly.

"You've got to be kidding," Jack said in disbelief.

"Give the man a medal," the Doctor said sarcastically as he ripped more cords out of the computer structures.

"A Delta Wave?" Jack asked.

"A Delta Wave!" the Doctor confirmed.

"But what's a Delta Wave?" Freya asked in confusion.

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy. It fries your brain. Stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbequed," Jack explained to her.

"And this place can transmit a massive wave. Wipe out the Daleks!" the Doctor cheered. But he had a look in his eyes. Freya frowned, staring at him.

"What's the problem?" Freya asked him worriedly.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about. Oh, three days? How long til the Fleet arrive?" the Doctor asked. The man glanced down at the screen, a frown marring his face.

"Twenty-two minutes," the man informed them

Ten minutes later found Jack briefing the workers on what to do and the Doctor having Freya assist him in stripping some wires. Freya felt like she wasn't doing much to help, but the Doctor had insisted on her being with him.

He ushered the workers towards the lift before making his way back to Freya and the Doctor.

"It's been fun, but I guess this is goodbye," Jack said with a sigh. Freya's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about? I thought this Delta Wave would save us," Freya said. Jack gave her a sad smile and shook his head. He moved closer, pulling Freya into a hug before staring straight into her eyes.

"Freya, you are amazing. And worth fighting for," Jack said before kissing her fully on the lips. When he pulled back, Freya stopped him. Stared at him.

He wasn't planning on coming back alive.

Freya moved her own hands to his cheeks, staring at him intently.

"Jack, you're all wrong. And you'll be wrong," Freya promised him before she leaned up and kissed his lips as he had done to her. Jack pulled back and smiled at her once more before moving to the Doctor.

"Wish I'd never met you, Doctor. I was much better off as a coward," Jack told the Doctor before kissing him as intently as he had kissed Freya.

"See you in hell," Jack said with a weak smile and a half salute as he dashed towards the lift, joining the workers. As soon as the elevator closed, Freya turned to the Doctor. The Doctor, who was staring after Jack sadly.

"He's not wrong yet. He'll be alive," Freya told him, not quite understanding her words but knowing they were right.

She ignored the Doctor's sad smile.

Freya settled down next to him, continuing to strip wires as he set up his device he was working on.

"Is there some way we can warn them? Go back a week ago, tell them what'll happen? Or go back to when the Daleks started breeding and destroy them while they are weak?" Freya asked.

"No. As soon as the TARDIS lands in that second, I become part of the events, stuck in the timeline," the Doctor informed her. Freya sighed, looking down.

"There's another thing the TARDIS could do," the Doctor told her carefully. Freya's head shot up, waiting for his answer.

His tone, his eyes, they reminded her of how he'd acted when he'd had a way out that would kill her, with the Slitheen. Only now, there was no Harriet Jones to insist on him doing what was better for humanity rather than just her.

"It could take us away. We could leave. Let history take its course. We got Marbella in 1989," the Doctor told her, his expression begging.

"We can't leave them. I can't. And you can't either," Freya pointed out. The Doctor seemed to wilt at her words.

"It never occurred to you, did it? It never occurred to you that we could leave, not have to worry about our lives," the Doctor mentioned. He glanced at Freya, as if he was only just seeing her. His eyes lit up, but Freya got the feeling of unease that it had nothing to do with seeing her.

"You're a genius! We can do it! We can save them! If we use the TARDIS to cross my old timeline, we can generate enough energy to make this work!" the Doctor said happily. He threw himself at her, pulling her to him in a passionate kiss.

But Freya could feel the shift. It wasn't a kiss of joy.

No.

It was a kiss of goodbye.

His hands threaded desperately through her hair, pulling her tightly against him for the slightest of seconds before he pulled back.

And pulled her into the TARDIS.

"Hold down this lever. It's a stabilizer. We need the TARDIS stable if we're going to do this. I've got to go power up the Game Station," the Doctor told her, rushing from the TARDIS.

And the door slammed shut.

Freya pulled her hands from the lever and ran for the door, but she could already hear the TARDIS dematerializing. It was too late.

He was sending her away. To safety.

The words from the book flashed through her head. _To get back to him_.

That was what the book meant. This was what it was for.

A hologram of the Doctor appeared, but Freya ran past it. She didn't need him telling her goodbye. She was coming back for him.

She made it to the library before she heard the door open, but she ignored it. She immediately pulled a few books out of the way, tugging the book she'd hidden out and flipping it to the first page.

To Get Back to Him.

Taking a deep breath, she flipped the page.

_When he sends you away, you can return. You have to return. You are his and Jack's only hope. Remember the heart of the TARDIS that Margaret looked into? You need to look into it. You need to look into it and pour out your heart, your feelings. The TARDIS already knows how much you want to get back to them. To save them. She's been helping. Remember the gold particles? You've been absorbing them for weeks. Preparing you for this._

_When you take them in, you'll immediately go back to the future. Remember to send the words back in time to Margaret, as a warning. And then destroy the Daleks. Wipe them out of existence. And bring Jack back to life. But as soon as you do it, give it up. Force the vortex from your heart, from your body. Force it back into the TARDIS. Do not let the Doctor try taking it out of you. It will kill him. Force it out as soon as you have Jack back to life and destroyed the Daleks._

_And then the two of you need to get back in the TARDIS immediately. Because she's gonna take off as soon as the vortex is returned._

_Be careful. The past can be rewritten and can change. This is very dangerous. If you wait too long, you'll die. If you wait too long ,he'll die too. _

_It's all up to you._

Freya closed the book and slammed it back into its spot as Rose and Marie entered the library.

"Freya! Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked, glancing around.

"Not here. But I'm going back for him. I'm going to save him," Freya told them, marching to the console room.

"What do you mean, you're going to save him? What happened? Is it dangerous?" Marie demanded.

"It's highly dangerous. But I have to. He risked everything to send me back here. And I'm going to risk everything to get back to him and save him," Freya stated, gripping the console tightly. She pulled, moving to the next panel when the first didn't lift.

"You didn't even say goodbye. Last time, when you left," Rose stated.

"I sent you a text. We were…it was rough," Freya admitted.

"What happened?" Marie demanded.

"Margaret tried ripping the TARDIS apart. The heart of the TARDIS was exposed and gave Margaret a second chance. As an egg. We went to drop her off on Raxacoricofallapatorius," Freya explained.

"Why is the Doctor in danger? What's happening?" Rose asked quickly.

"The Doctor's worst enemy. They're called the Daleks. They were supposed to all be dead. He sent me here because he had no way to fight them and live," Freya explained, tugging once more on a panel.

"If he has no way to fight them and live, why are you trying to go back?" Marie asked anxiously.

"Because I have a way. I have a way to destroy them. And if I do it all right, both the Doctor and I will live," Freya explained patiently.

"If you do it right? Freya, he sent you back here. He's the one that knows everything. How can you be so sure you're right?" Marie demanded, her fear leaking into her words. Freya stopped pulling on the console and turned to the two of them.

"Because I have a book. A book left here by a future version of Jack. A book that tells me what to do in certain situations, as long as I don't read ahead. The first entry tells me how to get back to him. And I plan on doing just that," Freya told the two of them.

"But you said Jack was in danger too," Rose realized. Freya nodded.

"I have to save them. Both of them. Because I can't just save the Doctor. If I save just the Doctor, I'd never get the book. Same goes for just Jack. I'm going back. And I'm going to save both of them," Freya said as she turned and tugged on one of the panels. It moved.

"You two need to get out of here. Before it takes off," Freya warned, keeping her eyes on the panel. It was still in place, but she could pull it up and she'd see. The gold particles were already leaking out and snaking their way up her arms.

"But…" Marie drifted off as Rose grabbed her arm and pulled her out. Rose gave her a hopeful smile before shutting the TARDIS door.

And Freya lifted the panel.

The sound of the TARDIS is what alerted the Doctor to the impending disaster. His eyes widened as he spun around, watching in horror as the TARDIS materialized. There was no way Freya would have been able to get it back.

But sure enough, the doors flung open and out marched Freya, eyes filled with gold particles.

The heart of the TARDIS. The Time Vortex.

The Doctor's hearts stuttered at the sight. No. It would kill her. She wouldn't be able to survive that. No one could. He doubted even he could survive that.

"Freya…what have you done?" the Doctor asked her in horror. Freya's head turned to him and a smile found its way to her lips.

"I did what I had to save you," Freya told him. The Doctor took a step towards her, ignoring the Daleks all around them.

"You looked into the Time Vortex. No one's meant to see that," the Doctor told her.

"This is the Abomination!" the Emperor Dalek shouted from the hologram. The Daleks in the room started screaming exterminate and shot at her, but she merely held up her hand and the beams faded.

Freya lifted her hand and flipped it casually at the sign on the Game Station wall. He glanced up, only to be shocked to see the words Golden Time there.

That was what Margaret's project had been called.

The words disappeared, fading. Freya then closed her eyes and sucked in a deep, sudden breath. The Doctor's eyes widened.

She'd brought Jack back to life.

Permanently.

She turned him into a walking fixed point. She opened her eyes once more, staring hard ahead.

"You've got to let it go. Let the power go. You're going to burn," the Doctor begged her. Freya shook her head.

"Not yet. I will, once I destroy them," she said, and he could detect a bit of pain hiding in her words.

"You cannot hurt me! I am immortal!" the Emperor Dalek roared. Freya shook her head, lifting her hand once more.

"You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence. Not bound anymore," she finished as she flicked her wrist. The Daleks surrounding them evaporated into a cloud of gold dust.

The moment they were all gone, Freya stumbled forward slightly. The Doctor lunged for her, steadying her.

"Let it go. Come on," the Doctor begged her.

"We have to get into the TARDIS first," Freya commanded, stumbling backwards into the TARDIS. The Doctor steadied her and helped her inside, next to the console.

"Now let it go," the Doctor urged. Freya's movement stopped for a moment and the Doctor frowned.

But like that, it was over. Freya gasped and the vortex flung itself from her, into the TARDIS. She fell backwards at the sudden velocity. The Doctor moved to her side, only to be stopped when the TARDIS took off on its own.

Violently.

Freya cracked her eyes open just in time to slam into one of the coral struts in the TARDIS. Her mind was whirling with thoughts, emotions, history, everything. But it was all fading. Fading, and fading fast. And the faster it faded, the less her head hurt.

She turned to see the Doctor flipping switches frantically. But it didn't seem to steady the TARDIS. Freya felt a brief apology in her mind and her bracelet became much heavier with charms.

And then it stopped moving.

Freya glanced down at her bracelet, shocked to see each little link had one to two charms on it.

"What happened?" Freya asked. The Doctor looked downright terrified. He pulled a grate up and jumped down, aiming his sonic screwdriver about.

"No. No, no, no!" he shouted before climbing up. He ran a hand through his short hair before shooting her an extremely pained expression.

"The TARDIS. She's dead. We're stuck wherever she just landed. Permanently."

**Well? What do you think? Different twist there, right? I hope y'all like it! I was gonna wait til tomorrow to post it but I couldn't wait! I was just too excited to see what you guys will think of this! **

**I had to add more Jack. Jack fits so well with Freya and the Doctor, especially Nine. I wish I coulda made him stay longer. I considered having him stay longer but decided it wouldn't make sense. **

**Leave me some reviews telling me what you think of it! Notice the hints I've been leaving you? (Welll...I say hints but it's like giant flashing neon signs of foreshadowing) ;)**

**I am currently writing on the Christmas special (which is chapter 14). Just figured I'd let you know how far ahead I was! The more reviews, the faster I write. The faster I write, the faster I update! So review! :)**

**Andi**


	12. Grounded

***Fair warning: this chapter covers a bit of time. Just going to let you know. I figured that, while describing this in full detail would have been interesting, we needed more action than that. Be excited! You get to meet some people here! Oh, and yes, there are spoilers in this chapter for other seasons...quite a few other seasons actually, through season six almost I'd say. You've been warned. :) Now read and tell me what you think!**

Chapter 12: Grounded

The Doctor's words shocked her.

And filled her with a sense of grief.

"Is this my fault?" Freya asked quietly, horrified at the thought. Maybe she was supposed to have died after saving the Doctor. She had lived, and the TARDIS had died.

"No. It wasn't. I would have put it right back if you hadn't. You didn't cause this," the Doctor reassured her, but Freya couldn't be too sure.

All she was sure of was that she was cold.

The warmth the TARDIS had been feeding her since she'd begun her travels was fading. The bracelet should have been giving her warmth, as it had before when she'd left the TARDIS, but she had a feeling that there was something more to it. The bracelet was to do something else now. Not keep her warm.

She shivered and wrapped her arms tightly around herself at that realization. If the TARDIS was truly dead, she was going to have to be used to being cold and alone feeling once more.

"But it can't be dead. Jack has to use the TARDIS to get back to the past and leave the book in the library," Freya muttered.

"Jack doesn't need the TARDIS to go back in time. He has a Vortex Manipulator. I'm sure it'll work for him a few times more, if I know Jack's luck. What book?" the Doctor asked her, suddenly intrigued.

"A book on what I should do about future events…wait," Freya realized. Her eyes widened as she took off running for the library, the Doctor hot on her heels. When they reached the library, Freya grabbed the book from the shelf. It was even in plain sight; she'd never taken the time to hide it properly earlier.

The Doctor took the book from her, quickly flipping through it. And getting more frustrated. He stopped on one page and read before slamming the book shut.

"Blank pages. Only you can read it. Besides a lovely note written to me by Future You, apparently. The TARDIS is stuck. We're stuck," the Doctor said. He slid the book back onto the shelf and sank onto the couch, dropping his head into his hands.

Freya moved towards him, ready to comfort him, only to stop.

Did he want her to comfort her? She had no way of knowing. And she didn't want to upset him any further. She left him in the library, slowly making her way back to the console room.

The console room felt even colder now. Freya grabbed the Doctor's leather jacket and pulled it on, allowing it to swallow her. He'd discarded it somewhere in the middle of his freaking out as the TARDIS had wrecked.

Freya moved to the doors and slowly opened them.

Snow was drifting to the ground outside. A strong gust of wind hit her, making her thankful for the jacket. She stepped outside, only for her eyes to fill with recognition.

She knew exactly where they were. And a general idea of when. With that knowledge, she turned around and ran back to the library. The Doctor was where she'd left him.

"Come on. I know where we are. And a window as to when. Let's go find out exactly when," Freya told him, gently tugging on one of his wrists. He jerked it away from her.

Freya hid the hurt on her face and left him quietly in the library. She'd find out when they were and then come get him. He needed more time. And he was mad at her. She knew he would be. It just…she'd hoped he wasn't, when he said he wasn't. But she understood. The guilt coursed through her.

She should have just let the Time Vortex kill her. If it had, at least the Doctor would still have the TARDIS. All he had now was her. Her and her short life.

She exited the TARDIS, pulling the jacket tighter around her as she started the trek towards the beautiful house. The small cottage that Freya remembered staying in as a kid was next to the TARDIS, but she doubted anyone would be there.

After all, if Marie's family still owned the land, the cottage would be a guest house.

Marie's mother and father had built the house when she was a teenager. When they died, they left the house to Marie. Granted, Marie didn't live there. Marie came every weekend to maintain the house and reminisce.

And the house looked exactly as it had the last time Freya had come with Marie, so she assumed it couldn't be too far off from the present.

She ought to have walked around to the front. She knew that, but the back door was closer and the Doctor's jacket wasn't doing much to keep the wind out. So she rang the doorbell to the back door, hoping it was the weekend.

The door was jerked open.

Marie stood in front of her, eyes wide in shock.

"Freya?" Marie gasped, staring at her intently.

"Hey," Freya said weakly. Marie glanced over her shoulder nervously. In that instant, Freya noticed something was wrong.

Marie looked older. Not too terribly older, but at least a few years older. She had gained some weight. Not a ton, but enough to show that this wasn't just a month or two off.

And there was a ring on her finger. Not her engagement ring. A wedding ring.

Any more of Freya's thoughts left her when Masen and two police officers rounded the corner. All of whom had eyes as wide, if not wider, than Marie's.

"Freya O'Leary Smith?" the first police officer asked. Freya swallowed and nodded, only for the second officer to move to her side, quickly pulling her in. Smith? Wait. But Masen and Marie didn't act as if there was anything off about them calling her that. Masen disappeared and reappeared with a blanket, which they wrapped tightly around her. She was sat down on the couch as everyone stared at her.

"Miss, if you don't mind us asking, what happened to you?" the first officer asked. Freya glanced around the room, desperate for a date, for something.

Her eyes landed on a calendar.

February. February 2013.

The last time she'd been home, it had been somewhere around November of 2006.

She'd been gone over six years.

"How long have I been missing?" Freya finally asked, hoping that she'd get some sort of insight. The police officers exchanged looks.

"Your parents reported you missing seven years ago, but we were informed you just lost contact with them. Mrs. Smith reported you missing a year ago. We were here for a followup check," the second officer explained.

"We can't help but notice you're wearing a man's jacket. And you look…a little worse or wear. Were you kidnapped?" the first officer asked her intently. Freya opened her mouth to contradict his words, but that was the moment the Doctor chose to plow into the room.

"Where did you run off to?" he called out before rounding the corner.

And his eyes went wide.

The police officers were on their feet in a heartbeat and had the Doctor in handcuffs before he could blink. He stared at Freya in shock.

"Sir, you're under arrest for the kidnapping of Freya O'Leary Smith," the first police officer told him before roughly pulling him out of the house. The second smiled at Freya.

"We'll send someone around to get your statement later," he promised.

And they were out the door.

"Freya…that was the Doctor. The first Doctor," Marie said in horror.

"That was the Doctor," Freya nodded staring in shock at the door before she lunged to her feet. She took off running for the door, but by the time she'd gotten there, the police car had driven off.

They'd arrested the Doctor.

"When was the last time you saw us?" Masen asked her intently.

"I saw Marie this afternoon. The Doctor had sent the TARDIS back home with me in it, but I took in the heart of the TARDIS and took it back," Freya explained. And her eyes widened.

"Jack! We left Jack!" she exclaimed in horror. She hadn't even realized that before. They'd gone and left Jack behind. Freya hoped – no, she prayed – that Jack's Vortex Manipulator, whatever that was, worked.

"You'll be fine. You'll see Jack again," Marie promised, only for Masen to shush her.

"Don't talk about the future. You know what River said. Spoilers," Masen warned her.

"River?" Freya asked, but she shook her head.

"No. Nevermind. No, don't tell me the future. But I need help. Please. I have to get him out," Freya begged.

"What can we say though? He was the number one suspect when your parents reported you missing. His other…this other bloke was the number one this time, but they knew what the Doctor looked like," Marie nearly slipped up. What other bloke? Her words intrigued Freya, but she didn't want to get in trouble for knowing the future.

That's probably why the book wouldn't allow the Doctor to read it.

Freya stuck her hands in her pockets absently, only for her eyes to widen. She whipped out the psychic paper.

"Take me to the station," Freya demanded.

"What are you going to say?" Marie asked her dubiously. Freya glanced at the date again before opening the wallet and handing it to Marie.

Marie stared at it before looking up at Freya in shock.

"But this is fake!" Marie exclaimed. Masen took it from her and shook his head.

"No. It's blank. Psychic paper. The Doctor used it on us a few times, remember?" Masen pointed out.

"But it looks just like a marriage certificate!" Marie protested. Masen's eyes widened and he let out a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Marie demanded, her hands going to her hips.

"What's funny? Remember the next time we meet them? The Doctor and Freya, in the past? On Christmas of 2006? When we asked them when they got married? They said 2013," Masen said with a smile.

"We tell you we're married the next time we meet?" Freya asked in confusion. Masen nodded.

"It was your best excuse to keep him from getting arrested. At least, that's what you told me. That it looked better for you to be travelling with a husband rather than a suspicious man with no name," Masen told her with a warm smile.

"So can we go get him, before he causes trouble?" Freya begged. Masen smiled.

"I'll take her. You can stay and get the kids from school," Masen told Marie.

And Freya's eyes widened.

"Kids?" Freya asked. The two of them laughed at her expression.

"Three. Katie and Blake are five and John's four. We named John after the Doctor," Masen explained.

"And when we told him, he was pissed because we didn't name him 'Doctor'," Marie said, her tone cross.

"John?" Freya asked in confusion.

"Yeah. His cover name. John Smith. Works out great around us. We have Marie Smith, Masen Smith, Mickey Smith, M-, John Smith, Freya Smith, E – yeah. Just one big Smith family," Marie said sarcastically. Freya stared at her.

They knew the future. Well, they knew Freya's future. Freya tried to block out her curiosity over Marie's slip-ups.

"Come on," Masen urged her, pulling her along with him. Freya let the blanket fall to the couch and tightened the jacket around her shoulders. She grabbed the psychic paper from the table Marie had dropped it on and tucked it back in her pockets. Masen grabbed a small wallet from a desk and handed it to Freya as well as they hurried out the door.

Masen started up the car and shut Freya in before climbing in himself.

"What's this?" Freya asked, opening the wallet.

"More psychic paper. They're gonna want proof that the Doctor is your husband. And he needs identification. When you hand that one to them, think of a driver's license. That'll be his other identification," Masen explained to her as he took off.

"Is there anything I need to know about my future self? Before I go in there?" Freya asked hesitantly. Masen glanced at her before focusing on the road.

"I don't need to know the future. I actually need to know as little as possible. But I need to know what to say to what they will most likely ask me," Freya pointed out. Masen took a deep breath and nodded.

"You do. First of all, you should change his name. You mentioned once that he used the name James McCrimmon before. As long as he hasn't opened his mouth and told them John Smith, tell them his name is James McCrimmon. Their records will show that you've already married a John Smith. This…other bloke. So you don't want to get confused," Masen explained.

"So…I'm married?" Freya asked in confusion. Masen hesitated once more.

"Spoilers. I can't say. But if they ask, say you two broke up, got a divorce. James can be called John Smith's cousin. And you met him while travelling on your way home from John. That will answer those questions," Masen explained.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Freya asked carefully. Masen bit his lip, as if he were trying to decide just how much to tell her.

"If they ask about any belongings, or other people, say they are still with John Smith," Masen told her cautiously.

"Other people? Anything more specific, so I don't appear too shocked?" Freya asked him jokingly, not liking the way he tensed up at her words. Masen mulled over the words and glanced towards her again, almost methodically.

"If they ask about children, tell them you left your children with John for the duration of the travel home. You and….John…showed up with a kid or two once. Can't tell you whose kid it was, but you had to tell the police it was yours. They wouldn't have believed the truth," Masen finally told her. Freya's heart had lifted when Masen mentioned children, but sank once more with the rest of his words.

"What about this John? Who is John?" Freya begged. Masen shook his head.

"River would be so mad if she could hear me now. Spoilers," Masen told her.

"What's so important about the word spoilers?" Freya shot back. She wanted to know who River was, but knew better than to ask. That was the last thing she needed to do. River was, apparently, from her future. The less she knew about her future, the better off she would be.

"It's just the word River uses. River is…a time traveler as well, I guess you could say. She always says spoilers when someone asks her about the future," Masen explained.

All of this was too much. Way too much. Freya allowed Masen to continue talking as he drove, but she methodically tuned him out. It wasn't because he was boring; she just didn't think she could handle any more.

A bout of nausea hit her suddenly, and she gripped the door handle tightly.

"Pull over," Freya commanded, thankful they were only driving on a side road. She squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on quelling the feeling, at least until they could stop. The car slowed and Freya bailed out the moment it stopped, stumbling only a two steps from the car before vomiting in the ditch. A car door slammed and she was being steadied as she retched once more.

Once she felt well enough, she straightened herself.

"Feeling better?" Masen asked her sympathetically.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Freya blurted out as she tried wiping her mouth. Masen smiled at her and pulled a few paper towels off of a roll from the car's floorboards before handing them to her.

"We didn't get along. Not when we first met. Took us awhile but you warmed up to me. I warmed up to you. We're actually good friends by this time. Hard to believe, huh?" Masen asked her with a smile. Freya started to nod but that made the nausea return. She turned away from him once more and retched. This time, when she stood, Masen had another paper towel ready along with a travel sized thing of mouthwash.

Freya eyed it oddly but took it nonetheless. It would be better than having the taste of bile in her mouth. The aftertaste alone was enough to make her feel like vomiting once more.

"Why do you carry mouthwash?" Freya asked him as she unscrewed the lid and swished the mouthwash around. She spat it into the ditch before wrapping the container up with the paper towels. Masen opened up a plastic bag and they threw the trash inside of it before he helped her into the passenger seat once more.

When he got in the driver's seat, he offered her a smile.

"Used to carry it around when Marie was pregnant. Can't count the number of times we had vomit breaks in car trips. And she would be furious if I didn't have mouthwash ready for her," Masen said with a chuckle.

"Sorry. I just…felt overwhelmed," Freya apologized. Masen shot her a sideways look but said nothing to counter her.

"Have you been feeling sick lately?" Masen asked her innocently.

She hadn't.

"No. It's just been a real rough day," Freya told him, absently pulling the Doctor's jacket tighter around her.

"There we are," Masen said, pointing ahead. Freya's head shot up. Sure enough, they were approaching a building. Masen parked the car and was out before Freya could get her seatbelt undone. She went to open the door, only to find it already open. Masen righted her automatically.

"After we bail the Doctor out, you need to get some rest. You're nearly dead on your feet," Masen observed. Freya didn't contradict him, instead chose to allow him to help her into the police station.

It was a small station, with only one room. The Doctor was already locked in the cell which was visible from the doorway, and he was arguing quite loudly.

"You don't understand! What I'm trying to say is…" he drifted off when he noticed Freya and Masen. The two police officers from earlier leapt to their feet, eyes wide.

"We were going to come by tomorrow to collect your statement. You didn't have to come by today," the first one told Freya, but she shook her head.

"There's been a misunderstanding," Freya told them softly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the two wallet-like cases for the psychic paper. She took a step from Masen, only to sway slightly. He stepped forward, steadying her as she approached them.

"Sorry. She's exhausted, but she insisted on coming herself," Masen apologized to the police officers. Freya handed them the first, the Doctor's psychic paper. The first officer flipped it up and his eyes widened. He handed it to his colleague and both stared at her in confusion.

"Here's his I.D.," Freya added, handing over the second. The two men stared at the second piece of psychic paper much like they'd stared at the first.

"We're sorry, Miss – Mrs. McCrimmon, but we were under the impression that you were married already. To a Smith. At least, that's the information we were told," the first officer told her. The Doctor's eyebrows shot up at their statement, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"I should have kept in better contact. John and I…well, we had a few disagreements. Got a divorce last year, sadly. James has been there for me through this entire ordeal," Freya lied, leaning more on Masen than before. The officers shot her parallel looks of pity. The first then nodded to the second officer and the second quickly unlocked the Doctor's cell. Freya took the two psychic paper wallets from the first officer and tucked them into the Doctor's jacket.

The Doctor was instantly at her side, hugging her tightly.

"Are you okay? You look tired," the Doctor told her worriedly. Freya smiled at him and glanced back at the officers.

"I'm sorry for not saying anything earlier. I was in too much shock to realize what was happening," Freya told them. Both officers looked quite chagrined and nodded.

"We shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. You've been the biggest case we've dealt with. Have a nice day," the first officer told them. Freya nodded and between the Doctor and Masen, they helped her to the car.

She opted for the backseat this time so she could lay down. And lay down she did. She was asleep before they'd even pulled out of the parking lot.

She woke up on a couch. On a couch with three children sitting on top of her, watching her intently. The girl tilted her head, staring at Freya.

"Mommy said not to wake you up. But we wanted to see you. You don't look like Aunt Freya," the girl told her. Katie, Freya's mind supplied. Both the girl and one of the boys had blonde hair like Marie's. The other boy, who looked younger, had brown hair like Masen's.

Freya sat up slowly. The children, she realized, had all perched themselves on her legs.

"Technically, this is the first time I've met you," Freya told them , giving them a smile. The blond boy nodded solemnly.

"We know. Uncle Doctor told us all about timey-wimey-ness," he told her, his expression completely serious.

"Timey-wimey-ness?" Freya asked, slightly amused yet confused at the same time. The three children nodded.

"He said that was why sometimes you looked younger or older when you came to see us. And why you were gone a lot. But he never looked different. Well, except now. I don't really think he's Uncle Doctor," Katie admitted.

"Did…Uncle Doctor….tell you about secrets? And what you couldn't tell us?" Freya asked the children carefully. Their eyes lit up at that.

"Yes! Him and Aunt River told us. Well, he told us not to tell him about him and you when you're older. Aunt River explained secrets," Katie admitted, eyes gleaming.

"And gave me a crocogator!" the youngest boy cheered.

"John. That's a secret," Katie told him, eyes wide. The youngest covered his mouth immediately, and Freya couldn't help but laugh at them.

"What's a secret?" Marie asked as she entered the room. Her eyes narrowed as she saw her children sitting on Freya, to which the children all scampered off of her.

"Doctor, Masen, she's awake," Marie called. The Doctor was in the room in a second. Masen came as well, but he wasn't as rushed as the Doctor was.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" the Doctor asked her, sitting next to her quickly.

"Fine. Just…tired," Freya admitted with a yawn.

"We've been updating Big-Ears on what he needs to know. And what he needs to avoid asking about. The spare cottage is set up for you. While you were asleep, Masen picked up some groceries for you guys. I hate to say it, but you're going to be here awhile," Marie said apologetically.

"Awhile?" Freya questioned.

"Indefinitely," the Doctor corrected, looking none too happy at that.

"What are we going to do?" Freya asked, glancing between Marie and the Doctor.

"I'm going to tinker. See if I can work out a way to fix the TARDIS. Bring her back. There has to be a way. And why do we need to stay in the cottage? You hadn't got to explaining that," the Doctor pointed out, staring at the two of them.

"The TARDIS is dead, so she's just a wooden box. A larger-than-life wooden box, but still a wooden box. It's freezing out. The wind blows right through it. Freya needs a warm bed. You do too, I'd suppose," Marie explained, wrinkling her nose. Freya couldn't help but smile at her friend's almost abrasive words.

"Thanks. It means the world to us," Freya told them earnestly.

"Yeah yeah, we know. Let's get you to the cottage so you can get some rest. You're in for a great time," Marie promised her.

"A great time?" Freya repeated, confused. The two of them exchanged looks before smiling at Freya.

"Yeah. You get to meet a lot of people," Masen told her. The Doctor was on his feet in an instant.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I thought you said you knew what you were supposed to be allowed to tell us and what not to tell us," the Doctor shot at the two of them, glaring intently. Marie laughed and pulled a small journal from her pocket.

"That's what this is for," Marie told them.

"Is that like my book?" Freya asked and the two nodded.

"Yeah. Except ours doesn't really contain stuff that'll change the world. Just tells us who to let you see, what to let you do, et cetera. We actually have already copied it for you. You need to put a copy of it in your library and give it to us next time you see us," Masen explained, pulling out his own copy of it. He tossed the nearly identical book to Freya who caught it cautiously.

"What's up with all the notebooks?" the Doctor asked grouchily.

"We had a lot to keep straight, so we keep notebooks. And there should be some sort of guidance. Don't worry. Notebooks won't always dictate your life," Marie told him with a wink.

"But I don't understand why you keep saying this! We're stuck here. She's dead. Unless you know how to fix her, we aren't leaving!" the Doctor protested angrily.

"Calm down. Everything will work out," Masen ordered him. The Doctor glared at the two before leaping to his feet and taking off out of the house. Freya's heart sank with each step he took.

"Don't worry about him. He'll come around," Marie promised, taking the seat he'd just vacated and wrapping her arms around her friend.

It had been three weeks.

Three weeks was the time Marie and Masen gave the Doctor and Freya to settle. And in three weeks, the Doctor hadn't left the TARDIS during the day. Freya made him food and left it in the kitchen, and every morning it was gone, but by the time she'd gotten up and made it to the kitchen, he was gone.

She was thankful the cottage had two bedrooms. It was obvious from what Marie said that she expected the two of them to share a bed, but Freya knew better. She let the Doctor have the real bedroom and she took the closet-like bedroom.

After all, it's not like she got too much sleep.

The nightmares had come back since the first night away from the TARDIS. One night, she'd even snuck into the TARDIS and tried sleeping there, but woke up three hours later freezing. The essense of the TARDIS, it appeared, was gone.

And so were her nights of sleep.

It was around the three week mark that Marie started introducing her to people. People Freya didn't know. When Marie first mentioned that she would get to meet people, Freya's first question was if she'd get to see Rose.

Marie and Masen had exchanged looks and told her Rose was out of the country.

Freya could tell they were lying.

The first person Freya met was a woman named River.

She'd been hearing of River quite a bit, moreso when the Doctor wasn't around, but she was always mentioned. And on a Monday morning at the beginning of their third week, Freya woke up to who she later learned was River opening her window.

The cold air rushed into the room, jerking Freya awake. She'd only just gotten to sleep an hour before and the nightmares had yet to hit her. The woman in her room had blonde curly hair and a wide grin plastered to her face.

"Get up beautiful. We're going out," she'd said before tossing some clothes on Freya's bed.

Clothes that were most certainly not Freya's.

Freya obediently put the clothes on and made her way out of the room, only for the curly haired woman to observe her.

And sigh.

"What has he been doing to you?" the woman asked sadly before pulling Freya into the bathroom. She whipped out a makeup bag and eyed Freya.

"I'm River, by the way. River Song. You don't know me yet, but I know you. As soon as I finish your makeup, we're gonna skedaddle before Big-Ears decides to meander in here," River told Freya.

"Why do you call him Big-Ears? I know why Marie does, by why do you?" Freya asked. River's mouth opened and Freya was certain she was going to say spoilers, but she stopped.

"Do you know about regeneration?" River asked her carefully. Freya shook her head. She didn't think she'd ever heard that word before.

"Okay. Well, you'll learn it someday. Anyway…the Doctor has nicknames. Along with other names. It feels weird calling him the Doctor. And I rarely will call you and him by name," River explained. Freya could sense that she was leaving big points out, but she knew better than to ask. She was thankful River was trying to explain things to her.

As soon as River was done with makeup, she pulled two wigs from her bag. Freya eyed them suspiciously, but River just shrugged her shoulders.

"We're gonna meet someone today who can't recognize you. Or me. It's complicated. She knew you and the Doctor, but doesn't now and if she remembers him, it'll be bad," River tried explaining. Freya nodded, puzzled.

"So when we meet her, what do we tell her our names are?" Freya asked. River smiled at her and winked.

"Well, I'll be Mel, and you can be Amy," River told Freya, her eyes sparkling with knowledge.

"And those names won't set her off?" Freya asked. River shook her head.

"She never heard those names on her travels. Don't worry. Now let's get these wigs on and get out there!" River urged.

The wigs were both blonde. Blonde, straight hair. River helped Freya get hers on and pulled Freya along with her.

They stopped at Masen's car and River shot her a grin before picking the lock.

"What if he needs his car today?" Freya asked anxiously, glancing at the house. River shook her head.

"He has another car in the garage. It's a power thing. Now hop in. We're going shopping in London."

When they got to London, River was practically bouncing in excitement. Freya just wanted to go to sleep. But she didn't tell River that. River, it seemed, knew her well enough to realize that that was the case.

She pulled Freya from the car and before she pulled them into their first store, she examined Freya. Really examined her.

"Oh honey. You aren't getting sleep, are you? Big-Ears is so dense," River said in distaste.

"I'm fine," Freya told her, but that didn't stop River from examining her.

"You're not eating very much. You should. I've got some vitamins I left at the house for you. Good thing too. You look like you could use some vitamins. And you're way too pale. Come on. What do you want to go shopping for?" River asked Freya eagerly. Freya shook her head.

"I don't know. I don't need anything," Freya told the woman. River shook her head.

"Nonsense. We're getting you something. Now come on!" River urged, pulling Freya along after her.

They didn't get far before colliding with a redhead. An older man was standing behind her, eyes wide as they stared at Freya.

"Sorry. We weren't watching where we were going," Freya apologized.

"I'll say you weren't!" the red-head snapped back.

"Neither were you," River retorted.

"Oi! I was just minding my own business, and…Mel?" the woman asked, squinting at River. River shrugged and nodded.

"Yeah. It's me," River said. The red-head pulled River into a huge hug, and River only shrugged at Freya, mouthing the words time travel.

"This is my friend Amy. Her and her husband are staying nearby with a friend of mine. We were going shopping, but Amy couldn't think of anything she needed," River said, winking at Freya. The older man's eyes widened even more.

"Oh, I can think of some things you need. Let's go! I could use another friend! Gramps, you wanna come too?" the woman asked. The man shook his head, still staring at Freya.

"Amy, this is my friend, Donna," River introduced. Freya smiled at her.

"Oi! I see what you're doing. I'm Donna Temple-Noble. Not about to have Mel cheating me out of introducing myself as that now. Got married two weeks ago," Donna said proudly, showing off her ring. River's eyes widened but she schooled the reaction carefully.

Freya assumed this was the friend they were going to meet today.

"And I'm Wilfred Mott. Donna's grandfather. I'll walk you three to the mall," the older man said. River glanced at Freya then at Wilfred before nodding and linking arms with Donna.

"Well come on then!" River said enthusiastically. Wilfred fell into step alongside Freya.

"Freya? What are you doing here?" Wilfred asked her quietly. Freya jumped slightly, glancing at him.

"Oh. So I'll know you eventually," Freya murmured. Wilfred nodded.

"Yes. Oh. You're a past version, aren't you? Do you…do you know what you can't say?" Wilfred asked her.

"I think I do, Wilfred. River – Mel – told me I can't say anything about the Doctor or time travel or my real name. She told me that on the way here," Freya admitted.

"Just Wilf, m'dear. And yes. I just wanted to make sure you knew. Her life depends on it. If she recognizes you as Freya, or the Doctor, she'll die," Wilf told her solemnly. Freya's eyes widened and she nodded.

"Of course. I'll be careful," she promised Wilf. Wilf nodded and smiled before giving her a quick hug.

"I'll go meet your mother and tell her you're spending some time with your friends," Wilf called out to Donna. Donna waved him off and Freya hurried to catch up to her new friends.

Freya had to say, by the end of the day, she was so glad she'd met Donna and River. The two of them brightened her day more than it had been brightened in the three weeks they'd been stuck here.

It was only after they'd had supper that River stood and offered Freya a smile.

"I've got to get back home. Didn't realize it was so late. Sorry to cut our afternoon short. Amy, can you get home okay?" River asked her. Freya's eyes widened but Donna intervened.

"I'll drive her home. It's been too good of a day to cut out early," Donna said. Freya grabbed River's arm as she tried to pass.

"What if I say something?" Freya asked in panic. River winked at her.

"You'll say lots of things. You won't say the wrong thing. Just don't let her see Masen or Marie. And as long as she believes the Doctor is James McCrimmon you'll be fine," River told her with a smile before waltzing out.

"Now that she's gone, let's go put the bags in my car. Then we can decide what we want to do," Donna suggested cheerfully. The two of them managed to carry their bags to the car and load them in the backseat of Donna's car, only for Freya to feel a wave of exhaustion creep over her. She stumbled into Donna, who straightened her up.

"You okay there?" Donna asked her worriedly. Freya nodded, only for nausea to hit her. She'd only been sick two or three times since their first day, but she knew better than to think it'd go away. She rushed for a trashcan on the corner, only barely making it before she was spewing supper.

"How long?" Donna asked her as she held her hair back. The wig back, that is. Freya was grateful River had put the wig on, because she was sure she wouldn't be able to have kept it on like that otherwise.

"How long what?" Freya asked as she wiped her mouth, reaching into her pocket. Sure enough, a pack of tissues were there. River. She'd known this would happen.

"How far along are you?" Donna asked her.

And just like that, Freya's world tilted.

She woke up feeling disoriented. Her eyes scanned her surroundings. She was sitting in the car. Donna's car. Donna was on the phone outside, talking with someone. When Freya opened the door, Donna hung up and smiled at her.

"Amy! Sorry. I figured since you weren't feeling well, I'd go ahead and drive you home. We can hang out at your house if you want to, or I can leave you there. It's up to you," Donna told her. Freya could sense Donna wanted to stay with her. Donna seemed to emit the same sort of loneliness Freya did, and the need to quell that loneliness in Donna was so strong she couldn't deny it.

"Yeah. We can hang out at the cottage for awhile," Freya acquiesced. Donna's entire face lit up at her words.

"Great! Can you give me the address? I'll plug it in to the GPS so we can take off," Donna said as she hurried to get into the car.

After the address was put in, Freya's mind wandered back to what Donna had said before she passed out.

"What did you mean by how far along are you?" Freya asked her. Donna shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I figured you were pregnant. I mean, Mel picked up a few things while you were in the bathroom for you, so I figured you were pregnant," Donna told her. Freya's eyes widened and she spun in her seat, digging through the bags in the back seat. Sure enough, she found a bag she was sure she hadn't bought. She pulled it to the front seat and started pulling out the contents.

There was a tiny pair of boots, unisex, but clearly for a baby. And a tiny teddy bear.

And three pregnancy tests.

Freya felt sick once more.

This time, she was thankfully able to bit it back. She glanced at Donna, wide-eyed.

"But…I…" Freya drifted off.

"It was probably the way Mel thought it would be best to let you know what she thought. Mel can be a bit eccentric," Donna explained with a rueful smile.

But Freya knew it was more than that. River was from the future. She would know if Freya was pregnant.

Oh God.

Freya was pregnant.

The realization struck her so suddenly that her eyes lit up.

"I might be pregnant," Freya gasped, unable to keep the joy from her voice. Donna gave her a sideways smile.

"I guess it's good then. I was worried you'd be upset. You didn't seem to be taking it well," Donna recalled. Freya shook her head.

"No. It's just…I didn't think it would have been possible," Freya admitted nervously.

"Not possible? You've been married for how long?" Donna asked her in disbelief.

"…a few months. But…we don't…we don't really….a lot," Freya finished awkwardly.

"And by a lot….when was the last time?" Donna asked her gently.

"Almost two months ago," Freya admitted when she realized it.

"Oi! Your husband's got to be a rubbish git then!" Donna shouted, offering Freya a grin as she did.

"It's complicated," Freya retorted quickly. Donna shrugged.

"Most men are. So tell me about this husband of yours. Mr. McCrimmon, yes?" Donna asked slyly. Freya bit her lip, trying to think of what to say.

"James is great. He's…he's been busy. Tinkering on this project of his. It's his life right now. We're…travelers. We travel the world. But our….transportation broke down. He's trying to get it working," Freya admitted awkwardly.

"Ah. He could just call a mechanic," Donna pointed out, but Freya shook her head.

"He's stubborn," Freya lied. Donna laughed.

"Aren't they all?" she retorted. Freya wasn't able to hold back her laughter.

She found she didn't want to.

When they got back to the house, Freya led Donna in and they dropped all of her bags into her bedroom, which Donna made sure to comment on.

"This room's a closet! What're you doing in it? Shouldn't you be sleeping with your husband?" Donna asked critically. Freya's head dropped.

"It's complicated," she tried explaining. Donna slung her arms around her shoulders and led her to the bathroom, whipping out the pregnancy tests.

"If it's as complicated as you say it is, let's get this figured out before he interrupts us. What was it Mel was calling him, Big-Ears? Come on," Donna urged with a large grin. Freya mirrored the grin and, twenty minutes when the tests each bore a plus sign, Donna grinned and jumped around with Freya.

The two of them made sure to dispose of the evidence in case the Doctor tried snooping. Freya protested, saying he wouldn't, but Donna insisted. And she let Donna do it. When they'd finished, the two of them relaxed in the living room and just talked.

It was the best time Freya'd had in a long time.

The Doctor was tired.

It was around three in the afternoon when he gave up on the TARDIS. He'd been trying for three weeks straight, and nothing seemed to be helping. He was wasting his time with Freya. He never wasted his time with his companions. He knew better. Soon she'd be gone, just like all the rest. And he shouldn't be wasting that time.

With that knowledge in mind, he made his way into the kitchen. She usually had food in the fridge for him when he came in each night, and he was alarmed to see she didn't do it this time. He quickly scanned the house, checking each room before going to her bedroom.

He hadn't entered her bedroom since they'd arrived. She'd told him where his bedroom was and where hers was, but he'd never tried seeing what hers was like. When he opened it, he was devastated to see how small the room was. That was where she'd been staying? That wasn't fair. That wasn't right. She should get the bigger room. She slept more than he did.

But did she? He hadn't seen her but maybe three times since they'd been stuck. He'd been too busy. Why had he been too busy?

And where was she? Was she okay? Had she been kidnapped? He searched the house before barreling over to Marie and Masen's house. He didn't even knock, choosing instead to enter their house and search high and low for Freya. He needed to know where she was.

"What are you doing here?" He spun around to see Marie standing in the doorway of the room he'd just entered, her hands on her hips.

"Freya's missing. I was looking for Freya," the Doctor said quickly, trying to move past her to finish searching the house.

"She's not here," Marie told him. He tensed up at her words. Where was she then?

"Calm down. I'm sure she's fine," Marie told him, but her words only further alarmed him.

"You don't know where she is?" the Doctor asked anxiously.

"No. But Masen's car was missing when he went to work. That means a friend's visiting. She probably took Freya into town for some shopping. In the future, this friend always enjoyed taking Freya shopping," Marie explained.

"Which friend? Rose?" the Doctor asked. Marie's expression temporarily darkened and she shook her head.

"Nah. You don't know this friend yet. Just relax. Go back to your tinkering," Marie said, but her tone had underlying malice. The Doctor tilted his head, observing the woman in front of him. After a moment, her eyes widened.

"You really don't see it, do you?" Marie asked in shock. The Doctor glared at her.

"What don't I see?" the Doctor shot at her. But Marie just shook her head.

"You don't even know what you're doing. I thought you were this all-seeing superior being, but you're just like every other male on the planet!" Marie snorted at her ludicrous statement. But it was true.

"How am I acting like an ape?" the Doctor retorted angrily. Because he was getting frustrated. He needed to know where his companion was. That she was safe. And he needed to apologize. And spend time with her.

"You've been neglecting the poor girl. Never spending time with her. She's getting worse, you know. Hasn't slept properly in ages. I figured the two of you'd been sleeping together, since she looked well-rested when you two showed up, but she hasn't. She can't sleep alone. She has these horrible nightmares. They keep her awake," Marie explained.

The Doctor could relate to that. But why hadn't she said anything? Shouldn't he have noticed before? Maybe the TARDIS had been keeping the dreams at bay before.

"How often have you even seen her?" Marie asked in disbelief. The Doctor thrust his hands into his pockets at her words.

"Three times?" he said, but his words were more of a question than a statement.

"Well, you'd bettered plan on making it four tonight. Poor girl. She still blames herself for the crash, you know. She told Masen that the second day you two were here. She thinks it's her fault. Told him she figures that if she'd just died, you could have still traveled the universe. You'd bettered correct her, and you'd bettered do something magnificent to make up for how you're treating her," Marie told him sternly.

"What do you think I should do?" the Doctor asked her miserably as the words sunk in.

And Marie's eyes had lit up.

When he got back to the cottage hours later, he hoped he hadn't missed her. He'd bought her a bracelet, at Marie's urging, that matched her necklace. It was simple, but he was sure she'd like it. He'd also bought a bottle of wine, remembering how she'd acted when Jack had forced her to drink some wine. He half considered trying to contact Jack. He knew Jack was more or less on Earth, but he resisted the urge.

Jack felt too wrong now. He could now see what Freya had been talking about before.

He'd also picked up some white roses (Freya's favorite, according to Marie), and some chocolate.

The apology was what he was working out as he opened the door.

The lights were out, save the kitchen light. He approached the kitchen cautiously. When he entered, he was shocked to see a red-head sitting at the table instead of Freya. When the red-head caught sight of him, her eyes narrowed.

"Big-Ears indeed," she muttered, staring at him.

"Oi! Who're you?" the Doctor asked her, indignant.

"Donna Noble! I'm assuming you're the clueless git Amy's married to," the woman shot back.

"Amy?" the Doctor asked, confused.

And that was the moment Freya entered the kitchen, wearing a blonde wig. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the Doctor.

"James…I didn't think you'd be in so early," she said, glancing nervously at Donna.

"My friend Mel introduced me to Donna today. We've been visiting," Freya said nervously, tugging on her ear. The Doctor forced a smile onto his lips.

"You don't need my permission to have friends," the Doctor told her. He glanced down, noticing that he was still holding the roses and the bag in his hands. He sat the bag down carefully and handed her the flowers. Freya stared down at them, eyes wide.

A quick glance at Donna proved that he'd rendered her speechless as well.

"I've been a proper arse, ignoring you lately," the Doctor apologized. Freya glanced up from the flowers, shocked even further by his words. He then pulled the bracelet out of the bag and offered it to her.

"You didn't have to buy me things," Freya protested, but the Doctor shook his head.

"No. But I wanted to. I was hoping it could be a start to me making it up to you for how horrible I've been," the Doctor told her awkwardly. For a moment, he thought Freya was going to reject him, but she then held out her wrist to him. The wrist that didn't have the TARDIS charm bracelet on it. He latched it on her wrist and the pulled out the chocolate. Freya's eyes were even wider at this, and he had the feeling she only accepted it out of shock and nothing more. She sat it down on the table, and the Doctor was annoyed to see that Donna wasted no time in opening it and popping one of the chocolates into her own mouth.

The Doctor then shot her a smile and pulled out the wine.

"Got to thinking of the last time we had wine. Figured we could have a repeat, without as much running," the Doctor told her with a wink.

Only to notice her rapidly paling face and her glance at Donna. Donna, it appeared, was also paling.

"I think that's my cue to leave. Good luck," Donna told her before leaping to her feet. She gave Freya a quick hug before hightailing it out of the house.

"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked her, moving to her instantly. Freya shook her head and pulled out a tall glass to put the roses in. Once she'd done that, she turned to face him and took in a deep breath.

"I can't drink wine," Freya told him slowly. The Doctor appeared puzzled at her words and Freya played with the hem of her shirt, avoiding his eyes.

"You drank wine at the London Blitz," the Doctor pointed out, but Freya shook her head.

"No. I mean, I could before, but I…I can't now. Not for awhile," Freya admitted carefully. The Doctor was instantly at her side, eyes wide.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?" the Doctor asked worriedly, settling the wine on the table without a second thought. Freya opened her mouth and closed it once more.

"In a manner of speaking, sort of," Freya told him shakily. He all but forced her into the chair and felt her forehead quickly.

And that's when he noticed her charm bracelet from the TARDIS.

"Freya…what happened to the bracelet? Wasn't it full?" the Doctor asked her worriedly. The bracelet looked quite like it had before it'd filled itself with charms. But the charms had been depleted. And with what they'd been able to figure out, that meant it'd been protecting her against quite a bit in the last three weeks. Freya bit her lips at his words.

"Doctor…I'm pregnant."

**Waaah! What do you think? I couldn't resist adding in River and Donna. I just felt like the two of them would be the best of friends if given the opportunity. So I gave it to them. I also couldn't resist throwing everything in there like I did. :) Let me know what you think! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and the next one! I just couldn't let Nine go that easily without having fun with him! :)**


	13. New Horizons

**Here's the next chapter! :) Hope y'all like it! And I hope it answers some questions. This is the end of the "first arc/first season" if you want to get technical, but since everyone wants me to keep posting it on this story, I'll continue on to season two right here as well! :)**

**Just a heads up, like the last chapter, this one jumps forward a bit. It has moments where time skips ahead. I did this because no one wanted to read every little thing that happens to them. That would get boring. :)**

Chapter 13: New Horizons

"You're what?" the Doctor asked, eyes wide. Freya glanced back up at him, feeling quite miserable.

"Whose is it?" the Doctor asked immediately, trying to think. Masen was the only male he knew in this time, and he didn't think Masen would do that. Then again, he really didn't know Masen.

"What do you mean?" Freya asked, completely puzzled by his response.

"Who's the father?" the Doctor reiterated, staring intently at her.

"You," Freya told him instantly.

His reaction worried her more than anything.

His face paled drastically at her words and he stumbled back, colliding with the wall.

"But that isn't possible. It isn't possible for a human to get pregnant from me. It shouldn't be possible. Slightly different reproductive systems. Unless….no. The London Blitz. The nanogenes. They came at you. The charm mixed with them….and it seemed to be absorbed around your stomach region. Oh Rassilon…the TARDIS changed you to make you compatible," the Doctor gasped, staring wide-eyed at her.

"What do you mean, changed?" Freya asked, feeling even more horrified.

"I mean changed. As in, I hope you didn't go to a doctor about it," the Doctor said. Freya shook her head, eyes still wide.

"What's different? What….what won't be the same?" Freya managed to ask. The Doctor shook his head slowly.

"If…if you don't miscarry, which is a possibility, it'll be a long pregnancy. Especially given the fact that your body is human. It…it could take up to three years," the Doctor explained.

"Three years?" Freya repeated, staring at him.

"Possibly longer," the Doctor amended, looking quite confused as he puzzled over it.

"I wish the TARDIS was still alive. We need her. We need to find out what to do. There's so much that can go wrong. So much preparation for you to be able to have the…wait. Those aliens…they said you could bring back the Time Lords," the Doctor said, staring at her. Freya's hand automatically drifted to her stomach.

"Are you saying I'm going to have a baby you?" Freya asked. The Doctor's face broke out into a wide grin.

"A baby me. That's a great way to put it. But yeah. It's probably gonna be a little Time Brat," the Doctor informed her.

"Time Brat?" Freya repeated, her nose automatically wrinkling up. She didn't want to think of her child as any sort of brat. The Doctor nodded, nonplussed.

"I don't know if it's a girl or boy, so Time Brat covers both. But…how did we not notice it before now?" the Doctor asked her, tugging on his ear awkwardly.

"We haven't really spent time thinking about it," Freya reminded him.

"And this is the first conversation we've had in ages," the Doctor added, looking quite forlorn at that fact.

He glanced up and a smile filled his face once more.

"Well, the wine's out. But I guess we now have something to celebrate! A baby! I never would have thought I'd end up with a baby," the Doctor stated in an almost awed state.

And then his entire expression shifted.

"Some things need to change," he began, only for Freya's eyes to widen. The Doctor's own eyes mirrored hers.

"Don't get all alarmed on me!" he told her quickly, only for Freya to force a smile for him.

"We...well, I've been a proper arse. And I'm gonna make it up to you. Especially now. I shouldn't have been wasting my time with you. Time's precious. Even more so now, I guess," the Doctor mused. He glanced up, obviously having gotten distracted once more.

"I saw your room. That's not a room. Too small. Move into my room with me. It's large enough," the Doctor told her. When Freya's eyes got even wider, he tried backtracking.

"I mean, if it makes you uncomfortable to share a room with me, we can just switch. But you need more space. You'll need more space. And you sleep more anyway. Need more sleep. And you'll probably need more sleep now than before. Sleep's healthy for the baby. Almost necessary," the Doctor rambled.

"Sleep's necessary?" Freya asked, her eyes wide in horror. The Doctor stared at her for a moment, not liking her reaction.

And that's when he noticed the makeup she was wearing.

He leaned closer and carefully wiped the makeup under her eyes away, revealing dark bags.

"When's the last time you got a good night's sleep?" the Doctor asked her in alarm. Her eyes hit the ground so fast he almost thought she'd passed out on him.

"I haven't slept well since we crashed," Freya murmured.

"Was Marie right? Is it a contact thing? Is that what you need? Will you sleep better if I'm there?" the Doctor asked her. Freya bit her lip but didn't respond.

He took that as a yes.

"If that's the case, then we'll share the bed. Sleep's very important for the baby's health. And if that's what it takes, then that's what's going to happen," the Doctor said firmly. Freya nodded obediently at his words.

"You can't take any aspirin. It's lethal to us. So avoid aspirin. And pears," the Doctor added as a side note.

"Are you allergic to pears also?" Freya asked him in surprise. The Doctor's grin focused on her once more.

"Nah. They're just nasty. Don't want you getting the little bugger hooked on pears before he's out of the womb. Or she," the Doctor mused. The Doctor shook his head, staring at her for a moment.

"I want to check on how far along he is. Or she. Mentally. Can I?" the Doctor asked.

"How?" Freya asked cautiously. Everything he said seemed so foreign to her, more foreign than anything before had been. The Doctor made his way to the chair Freya was sitting in and knelt in front of her. One of his hands tentatively placed itself low on her still-flat stomach and the other to the side of her head, two of his fingers pressed firmly against her temple.

"I'm going to go inside your mind. I won't dig. I'm just looking for the baby's presence. You probably haven't noticed it yet, if he's there already. It'll be tiny. It'll get stronger over time," the Doctor murmured.

"You mean my baby'll be able to read my thoughts?" Freya asked with wide eyes. The Doctor shook his head.

"No. He or she might, a little bit, near the end. It'll more or less be listening for you, for the sound of your thoughts. It's about having a constant voice in your head. You may not be able to notice it at all the whole pregnancy, since you don't have the telepathic tendencies my people have," the Doctor explained.

"Can I?" he asked, staring at her. His blue eyes were impossibly clear as he waited for her answer.

"I thought you were," Freya restated in confusion. Wasn't that the point of what he was doing? He shook his head, the smile still on his face.

"I wouldn't do it without having your full permission. It's a bit invasive. I don't want you to think I'm forcing myself into your mind," the Doctor told her. Freya shook her head, staring at him.

"Go ahead," Freya murmured.

The feeling was almost instant. It was the warmest, fullest feeling she'd ever felt. She could feel his presence inside her, inside her head. And she could hear his thoughts as he searched and sifted for a tiny voice, a tiny murmured. Intrigued, Freya urged her mind to try keeping up with his, managing to stay near where he was going.

And then she felt it.

She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel it, but she did. It was probably just the Doctor's presence in her mind that made her able to feel it, but in that moment, she could feel the essence, the mind of her child.

It was like a tiny, delicate flame flickering in the back of her mind. Freya's hand automatically covered the Doctor's hand on her stomach, amazed at the wonderful feeling.

"That's our baby?" Freya asked in awe.

"Yeah. That's our baby," the Doctor choked. Freya opened her eyes staring straight into the Doctor's eyes. He had tears forming in the corner of his eyes as he stared at her. Tears of joy.

With his hands still in place and his presence still very much present in her mind, he leaned forward.

And he kissed her.

The feeling was like an explosion of sensations all at once. It was a massive high, a wondrous feeling. Because not only could she feel her own joy at the feeling, but she could feel the Doctor's joy at it as well. And there, in the back of her mind, she could feel the baby's joy at the sheer amount of happiness that was coursing through them.

The Doctor pulled back, both physically and mentally, smile still stuck to his face.

"It's getting kind of late. You could use a good night's sleep. In the morning, I'll go to the TARDIS and pull out some books on Gallifreyan pregnancies. See if I can find any information on what to do," the Doctor told her.

And her expression shifted at his words.

If the TARDIS was still working, she'd have information for them. She'd tell them what they could and couldn't do, what the projected birth date would be, everything. Freya knew she'd be able to. But she couldn't. Because she was dead.

The Doctor noticed Freya's distinctive turn of mood at his words and he frowned as well, going over his words. What had he said? Then it struck him.

She blamed herself for the TARDIS dying.

"Freya…before we go to bed, we need to talk about what happened back at the Game Station," the Doctor told her carefully, watching her for a reaction. He wasn't disappointed. Sheer panic crossed her face and regret seemed to have etched lines into her skin.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize the TARDIS would die. If I had, I wouldn't have given the vortex up," Freya apologized quickly, feeling her emotions shift out of balance. The sudden mood change threw her and she tried focusing it, but it didn't seem to help.

"That's the problem. It wasn't your fault," the Doctor corrected her quickly. Freya's wide eyes fell on him in disbelief.

"But she died after I put the vortex back!" Freya protested. The Doctor nodded.

"She did. But you know what would have happen if you hadn't?" the Doctor asked her. Freya shook her head carefully.

"I would have taken it out of you. And it would have killed me," the Doctor told her. Freya bit back the gasp that threatened to escape her lips. That's what the book had said would happen. If she didn't give it up in time, he would die.

"But why didn't the book warn me that the TARDIS would die? It…it said you would die if I held it in too long, and I could die too. But it never warned me about the TARDIS," Freya nearly sobbed. The Doctor's arms pulled her close to him.

"Hey, it's alright. Everything's alright. You're alive, and I'm alive. And we're going to have a baby. Things are going to be fantastic. And one day we'll figure out how to fix the TARDIS. Until then, let's go to sleep," the Doctor told her. He stood carefully, pulling her to her feet as he did. The two of them made their way to the bedroom, Freya feeling even more exhausted with each step.

The two of them collapsed into the bed, not even bothering to change into pajamas.

And Freya got her first full night of sleep since the death of the TARDIS.

After that, things seemed to smooth out. Freya woke up every morning to the Doctor attempting (and failing quite miserably) to make her something healthy for breakfast before simply giving up and pulling out the bananas. Freya would go on a walk and then spend time with Marie. Sometimes Donna would meet up with her and the two of them would spend time together. Even rarer were the times River showed up in the middle of Freya's walk and took her on an adventure where they would run through a field or two, just to keep Freya (safely, according to River) in shape.

Her and the Doctor would then eat lunch together and spend the afternoon together. Freya never asked him what he did in the mornings, but she assumed he tinkered. But the afternoons were theirs. He simply adored reading to her – to them. Half the time, Freya was certain he was directing his words straight to her stomach – especially when he started going on about incredibly intelligent things she didn't even dare trying to keep up with.

Some evenings, when she felt downright restless, she urged him to take a run with her. His runs were never as much fun as River's runs were. River would push her just hard enough, while the Doctor seemed terrified to do more than a slow jog with her. Freya assumed it was because he was scared of a miscarriage, but as the weeks slid by, the less she worried about it.

As they approached the two month mark of being stranded there, Freya couldn't help but realize that she was completely and truly happy.

The Doctor was going crazy.

He knew he shouldn't be. Freya was enjoying herself. In fact, Freya seemed to adore the life they were currently leading. But he couldn't keep still.

He was grateful for her morning walks and social times. It gave him the chance to burn off energy and attempt to do his work without letting on how stir crazy he was. But he had exhausted every option. He had no other idea what to do that would revive the TARDIS. He'd never heard of such a thing happening before. And he knew there was no way he could get a new one. TARDISes were grown, not made. And the only place he'd be able to grow a new TARDIS outside of his home planet would be aboard a living TARDIS.

Which brought him back to square one.

But he had another worry that continuously flitted into his mind. One that worried him more than he dared admit it.

If he did end up finding a way to fix the TARDIS, would Freya still want to come with him, or would she choose to stay on Earth and continue with life on the slow path?

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he grew of the answer.

Freya was on a run with River when it happened.

It had been a week since she'd last run, and Freya felt more out of shape than she had in her entire life. Her feet were harder to move and although she had gotten plenty of sleep, she felt downright exhausted.

In between urging, River had been telling her that Mickey was coming to visit her that day. Mickey and his wife. Freya had asked about Rose, but River had only said spoilers in response.

River was in the middle of her encouragement when Freya tripped.

Her foot hand landed in some sort of indent in the ground and the next thing she knew, her ankle had twisted and she was falling towards the ground. She barely had the time to turn so she fell onto her side instead on her stomach.

Her arms instantly curled around her stomach, pleading, praying that she hadn't done something stupid, that she hadn't caused a miscarriage. River was at her side instantly, helping her up.

"Come on. Let's get you to the TARDIS med-bay," River murmured, helping Freya to her feet. Freya tried putting weight on her ankle but couldn't. She bit back a cry at the pain that shot through her. River moved in front of Freya and bent over slightly.

"Jump on my back," River urged her and, painstakingly, Freya did so.

River was moving just as fast as the Doctor had been the last time she'd had a piggy-back ride. Actually, River was probably moving faster. She didn't even unlock the TARDIS, instead choosing to snap her fingers and the doors opened. River didn't stop running until she'd deposited Freya onto one of the beds in the med-bay.

She had a cell phone whipped out before Freya could even open her mouth.

"Yeah, can you guys hurry up and get here? We're in the TARDIS. I have to leave. I have to leave before he gets back. Go straight to the med-bay. She fell while running with me and twisted her ankle. I need you to make sure the baby's fine," River said before hanging up.

"I'm gonna have to go. The moment the Doctor finds out what happened, there'll be hell to pay. Tell him your friend Mel took you on a run. Don't tell him River. He can't know me yet. You'll….you'll be fine, beautiful," River told her before gently kissing Freya on the forehead.

"Why do you call me that?" Freya asked her. River shook her head, a small smile on her lips. Freya could see her lips forming the word spoilers, but she stopped. She stopped and stared at Freya for a moment.

"Because I decided long ago that you deserved to have someone telling you how beautiful you are every day. And well, we both know how clueless the Doctor is. So I started," River told her with a smile.

"I really have to go," River told her and Freya nodded.

River disappeared, leaving Freya alone inside the dim, dead TARDIS.

Freya, for a solid minute, didn't dare move. When, after a minute, no pain outside of her ankle seemed to happen, she tentatively started pressing her fingers against the side of her stomach and around to the front. Nothing seemed to hurt.

Then again, she had no idea how it was supposed to feel.

She carefully pulled herself into sitting position, stretching slowly towards her ankle. She was able to untie the shoe on her left ankle, her twisted ankle, but it was already so swollen that she couldn't ease it off. And she didn't dare double over too much and risk unsettling the baby.

She had only managed to get her right shoe off when two people burst in the door.

One of which, she assumed, was Mickey.

"Freya! What are you doing?" Mickey barked, moving to her side. He instantly straightened her so that she was lying down on the bed once more and glanced over at the other woman in the room. Freya was certain she'd never met her before.

So this was Mickey's wife.

Freya wasn't too comfortable with that. Where was Rose? Who was Rose with now? What had gone wrong between Rose and Mickey?

"You did a real number on yourself. Any cramps? Bleeding?" the woman asked her professionally as she gently tugged the left shoe off of her foot. Freya couldn't hold back the wince at the feeling.

"Who are you?" Freya asked her, instantly wishing she could take her words back. That was a really rude thing to say. She hated being rude. Being rude always got her into trouble.

"Oh. You…you're from the past, yeah. My name's Martha. Martha Smith. We met a few years back," Martha tried explaining. Freya gave her a weak smile.

"Back to the baby," Mickey urged, glancing towards the door.

"Right. Back to the baby! Any pains?" Martha asked. Freya shook her head nervously. Martha wasn't deterred by her. She instead rushed for some equipment, pulling out a tiny device from a drawer. She sighed and shook her head as she pulled a few more things out.

"You can tell he hasn't used this stuff much. How far along are you right now? You've got to be near the beginning," Martha observed as she came closer.

"I think I'm about three months," Freya admitted nervously. Martha nodded.

"Very early on then. Right. Let's have a look," Martha said with a bright smile. She tugged Freya's shirt up, revealing her stomach. Freya could see a small bump starting to form, but it was barely noticeable. It looked as if she were just gaining a bit of weight.

Healthy weight, the Doctor had reassured her the one and only time he'd noticed her glancing suspiciously in a mirror.

Martha placed the device to Freya's stomach and her eyes lit up.

"Looks good. Give me a moment and I'll get a mini screen pulled up for you," Martha told her as she moved towards a larger, mobile machine. She pulled the thing over and pressed a few buttons before pressing the small device back to Freya's stomach. Mickey smiled reassuringly at her and turned the screen to face her.

On the screen was a tiny little…shape. It didn't look overtly human, but it was obviously something.

"That's the head right there. He's curled up right now. Stubborn little bugger," Martha muttered, pointing to the screen. With Martha's urging, Freya could sort of see the basic shape of the baby.

"It's a he?" Freya asked. Martha shot a look of slight panic at Mickey.

Oh. They weren't supposed to tell her that yet.

Before Martha could say anything, there was a loud crash in the hallway. Footsteps pounded and the Doctor appeared in the doorway, looking alarmed and out of breath. When he saw Freya on the bed, he surged forward, ignoring everyone else.

"Are you okay? What happened? I was coming to tinker and the door was open," the Doctor said quickly. Freya gave him a reassuring smile and patted his hand. His hand that had instantly gripped her shoulder.

He took her smile and gave her one in return before turning some of his attention to Martha and Mickey. Martha was staring at him as if she hadn't seen him before.

"Mickey? Is that you?" the Doctor asked in disbelief. A grin erupted on Mickey's face.

"Not much of an idiot now, am I?" he asked the Doctor with a smug grin.

"I'd say so. Oi! Who're you?" the Doctor then asked Martha, not recognizing her. Martha glanced at Mickey, who nodded encouraging.

"I'm Martha. Mickey's wife. We meet at one point. You take me on a trip," Martha said, twisting her wedding ring. She glanced at Mickey and Freya sensed there was more to her story than what she said.

But it was probably for the best. They were already learning way too much about the future.

"But why are you here? In my TARDIS? What happened? Oh…" the Doctor caught sight of the image of the baby on the screen and all of his words just left him. Freya was certain she'd never seen him that speechless before, and she doubted she'd see him that way again.

One of his hands caught hers and squeezed it tightly.

"That's our baby?" the Doctor asked, his voice nearly choked. Martha nodded, an almost reminiscent smile on her lips.

"Yup. That's your baby. We were making sure he was okay," Martha explained.

"So you can already tell the sex?" the Doctor asked her sharply. Martha nodded effortlessly.

She was lying.

"Why were you making sure he was okay? What happened? And how are you qualified to check? It's not a normal baby," the Doctor scoffed at her. Martha gave him a sharp glare and shook his head.

"You're exceptionally rude. More so than the last time I had to put up with you. I'm a doctor. And before you say anything else, I know exactly what to do about this baby. In your future, I'm the person that does most of the checkups. I end up practically delivering the baby," Martha explained. Mickey nudged her sharply.

"Yeah. Spoilers," Martha finally muttered.

"You didn't answer my question. Why was a checkup needed?" the Doctor asked, glancing between Freya and Mickey and Martha.

"My friend Mel took me on a run. She's trying to help me stay in shape. I fell," Freya finally said.

"You went running?" the Doctor asked her in disbelief.

"I had to. I can't get out of shape. If I'm not able to run, how will I keep up with you when you get the TARDIS working?" Freya demanded of him.

"You won't have to run. We won't go anywhere that makes you have to run," the Doctor promised. He got a scoff from both Mickey and Martha.

"Doctor, everywhere you go you have to run. And it's good for her to stay in shape. As long as she doesn't overexert herself, it's even good for the baby," Martha argued. The Doctor stared at her, more or less giving her his glare.

"She's just helping," Freya tried distracting the Doctor. He tore his eyes from Martha, only to glare at Freya.

"Your ankle!" he exclaimed, eyes narrowing on her swollen ankle.

"I'll wrap it up," Martha offered, turning away quickly to do just that.

"Don't go running again," the Doctor said immediately. Mickey's eyebrows shot up and his eyes darted between the Doctor and Freya.

"Why?" Freya asked him, biting her lip as she questioned him. His eyes hardened and Freya winced away from him automatically.

His expression softened slightly at her reaction but he still seemed firm.

"I don't want you getting hurt again," the Doctor clarified.

"But I need to stay in shape," Freya protested weakly. The Doctor shook his head.

"We'll just go on more walks. I'll take you on longer walks, if that's what you want to do. Just…don't run anymore. Not with anyone else. Maybe we'll sprint…if you want to," the Doctor tried reasoning. Freya nodded to his words.

"You agree to him way too easily," Martha stated, looking almost frustrated. Freya and the Doctor glanced at her, startled by her words.

"Babe, that's how she was. Give her time," Mickey told her in a soothing voice. Martha just shook her head, but she tried to plaster a smile to her face.

"Right. Well, we were supposed to come and spend time with you today, but I guess this counts as time. And given what's going on, I'd say it's probably time for us to go," Martha suggested. Freya quickly swung her legs off the bed, drawing everyone to her as she did.

"Don't put weight on it yet!" Martha lectured instantly, only for Freya to smile sheepishly.

"I just wanted to say bye. You were leaving so quickly," Freya admitted guiltily. Martha laughed and captured the girl into a tight hug.

"You never change," Martha told her with a wide smile before pulling away. She glanced at the Doctor and shook her head.

"And you change so much," Martha murmured before Mickey laced his fingers with hers and, after a half wave to the two of them, Mickey and Martha were gone.

After that, if possible, the Doctor and Freya grew even closer together than before. River hadn't visited again, and Freya had only gone out to see Donna once. Marie and Masen left for a vacation, taking the children with them.

Freya positively adored the time she spent with the Doctor, but she wasn't a fool. She could see how he spent less and less time in the TARDIS each day, and it wasn't just so he could spend time with her.

He'd given up on fixing the TARDIS.

It was late one night, after she'd come to that realization, when they finished the novel they'd currently been reading.

They had been reading on that novel for the shortest amount of time for a novel, only a few days, but they'd finished before they'd expected to.

"I can go pick out another from the library," Freya offered. The Doctor looked quite comfortable on the couch next to her, and she was needing to get up for a moment.

"Do you want to?" the Doctor asked her carefully, and Freya nodded eagerly.

She also needed to use the loo, but didn't want to tell the Doctor that. It didn't matter how comfortable around him she was, she still wasn't about to tell him that.

So she'd headed to the TARDIS, used the bathroom, and stumbled into the library.

Only to find River there, sitting on the couch next to the pool, already reading a book.

Not just any book. The future book. Freya's future book.

When River saw her, she closed the book, but her expression held no guilt.

"Have you checked the book out since you landed?" River asked Freya. Freya shook her head. She hadn't thought of it. The Doctor had glanced over it, but she hadn't. She hadn't thought she needed to.

River wordlessly opened the book and handed it to her.

And Freya's eyes widened.

"It's time I said goodbye. I'll see you again. It'll be awhile – a long while for you, and I look forward to meeting the bugger when he's out. As far as I know, you have a few years before you'll see me again. Unless older me sees you before that. Who knows? But it was nice getting to spend time with you," River told her with a bittersweet smile. She pulled Freya into a tight hug before pressing a button on her wrist and vanishing.

She glanced back down at the page, unbelieving.

It told her how she could fix the TARDIS.

She turned on her heel and stumbled as fast as her healing ankle could go to the console room.

There, she followed the instructions, flipping and changing switches, pulling levers, everything until they matched the image given.

And that was when she noticed the warning.

_PLEASE READ BEFORE DOING: This is vital. You have to know this. Reviving the TARDIS is going to cost you something – more than one something. Somethings that are precious. Remember how the Nyonx said you could peacefully live up to 120 years with no interferences?_

_You won't._

_The TARDIS knows how long you have. You have to give her your life force. Not all of it – just what you won't need. It'll be terrifying. You'll know how much longer you have to live at the maximum. And it won't be as long as you'll wish. You can't tell the Doctor that. He'll think you were just giving it as much as it would take. But you aren't. You'll give the TARDIS the equivalent of eighty years of your life. _

_The presence of the baby will help. It won't harm the baby, but the baby's energy is mixing with yours. The baby's energy is what will convert your life span into energy the TARDIS can absorb. To do it, you need to open the heart of the TARDIS again. It'll surround you, enter you, start eating away at your life. Once you feel you have lost eighty years, you have to give it up. Let it go. _

_It's important you remember that. _

_And it's not your fault._

_-F_

The words worried Freya. What wasn't her fault? Was there something more to this that she didn't know? Was something bad going to happen because she followed the instructions, as it had with the last time she'd read the book?

She was terrified of the thought. But she had to. The Doctor wouldn't admit it, but he was going stir-crazy. He had to get out of there. Back into time and space. And if she could do something about it, she had to.

She closed the book firmly and left it on the seat before moving to open up the heart of the TARDIS once more.

Freya was taking an awful long time to pick out a book.

That was the Doctor's first thought. He knew she probably had to use the loo – she did a lot, with the baby pressing on her bladder – but she should have been back already. She'd picked three books before they'd started reading the book they'd just finished. So she only had two books she would have to choose between.

What if something happened?

The words were like a bucket of cold water dousing him. He shot to his feet, not even bothering to tug on his shoes as he raced for the TARDIS. What if she'd fallen? What if she had a miscarriage and there was no one there to help her?

As he approached the TARDIS, his worries grew.

The TARDIS was almost humming.

He grabbed the door and tried pushing it open, but it wouldn't open. It was locking him out. He dug around in his pocket frantically, searching for his key. He hadn't had to use his key in weeks. He'd left the door unlocked, and with the TARDIS being dead, she didn't relock herself. A part of him wanted to be thrilled. The TARDIS was starting to work. But he knew better. The TARDIS wouldn't come back to life for no reason.

Something had to be happening to Freya.

Even when he was able to get the key into the lock, the TARDIS seemed reluctant to open. As if she was fully alive again instead of just a box. But she shouldn't be.

The door finally spun open and the Doctor leapt inside, only for his hearts to stutter.

Freya was surrounded by the heart of the TARDIS. She was hunched over on the ground next to the console. The particles, which should have been dead, were swirling around her, off of her charm bracelet, and literally seeping from her skin.

The Doctor took a step closer and stopped breathing.

It wasn't the heart of the TARDIS coming out of her. It was her life. She was giving up her life to fix the TARDIS. That shouldn't work. But the energy was multiplying in the air and swirling around her. Her bracelet finished dissolving and meshed with the gold particles, swirling into the console.

And the TARDIS lit up.

But it wasn't done. The connection was still there, between Freya and the heart. It was still taking the particles from her, her life span from her, and it was feeding itself into her.

It was converting her energy into the energy it needed. And it wasn't stopping.

The Doctor threw himself forward, falling into her on the ground as he gripped her shoulders. She looked terrified but almost resigned.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked her in horror. She opened her mouth but closed it as more of her life energy flew from it. He quickly searched her timeline, seeing how much was being taken.

She had forty years of her life left.

It had taken eighty years.

He had to get it to stop. It had to focus on something else. The TARDIS couldn't be responsible for trying to kill her. It had to be an automatic response if the TARDIS was brought back but still very weak.

What if he could focus it on him? He could give it however many years this body could have before giving out. That ought to be plenty.

He gripped Freya shoulders tightly and pulled her to him, kissing her desperately. Just as he would have done back on Satellite Five had she not been able to get rid of the particles on her own, he sucked the heart of the TARDIS, the vortex, from her. And into him.

The pain was excruciating. And terrifying. He threw himself back from Freya and leaned over the TARDIS, pushing it all out.

Including the potential years remaining in that body.

As he did, he dimly heard the doors close to the TARDIS and the tell-tale sound of it taking off. He kept two minutes of this body's life. Two minutes was all he needed. Hopefully.

And that was all he could afford to keep.

It vacated him and he straightened, but he could already see the gold lacing through his veins. His eyes sought out a panicked Freya.

"I'm so sorry. I was trying to help," Freya apologized, her eyes filling with tears. The Doctor shook his head, forcing a smile as his body tried convulsing.

"You helped. You helped more than you could imagine. You saved the TARDIS," the Doctor told her earnestly.

"But it did something to you. What did it do? What's happening?" Freya asked him anxiously.

"I've got this trick. When I'm about to die, I can save myself. But it means I'm going to have to change. Every cell in my body's going to die and be replaced," the Doctor told her. His words did not reassure her as he'd hoped they would.

"I killed you?" Freya gasped, the tears in her eyes leaking down her face. The Doctor shook his head violently, wanting more than anything to give her a hug and reassure her that she had not killed him. But his time was drawing close, too close. He couldn't afford her getting hurt by being too close when he regenerated.

"No. You didn't. I…I don't have much time. Not with this daft face, anyway. I may not have a face. I may have two faces! Can you imagine me with two faces?" the Doctor asked her with a smile, hoping to get a laugh out of her. She let out a tiny laugh, but the tears were still streaming from her eyes.

"Imagine the conversations. I'd never be able to speak," Freya choked out. The Doctor shook his head, glad that his last sight of her was going to be of her laughing. Even if she was crying, she was laughing.

And that's all he wanted.

"Freya…you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. I should have told you more. You were brilliantly fantastic. And you know what? So was I," he told her before stumbling farther back and succumbing to the regeneration energy.

He exploded.

He exploded into a gold light right in front of her.

Freya's mind shut down at the image. She'd killed him. What he was saying, it hadn't made sense. He was trying to make her feel better. But it was too late. She'd killed the only person that ever truly cared about her.

Freya's vision blurred with tears and she curled herself up on the floor of the TARDIS, not daring to look at what would be left of the Doctor's clothes. She couldn't bear to see it.

Marie and Masen must've been lying. They couldn't have seen the Doctor again. Martha couldn't have met him either. Because he was dead.

She'd killed him.

A hand touched her shoulder and Freya jumped. No one was in the TARDIS, unless River had come back. Freya lifted her head, only to panic.

It wasn't River.

It was some strange man. She'd never…wait.

She had seen him before.

He was the man who'd given her the locket at the hospital when she was younger.

And he was wearing the Doctor's clothes.

"Who are you?" Freya asked, her voice quivering. The man's expression dropped at her words.

"Freya, I'm the Doctor," he told her, but Freya shook her head.

"You're not the Doctor. I killed the Doctor. Why are you wearing his clothes?" Freya asked suddenly, horrified at the realization. The man was wearing what the Doctor had been wearing when he'd died.

"No no, I'm not wearing his clothes, I'm him!" the man said cheerfully. Freya scooted farther away from him.

His entire expression shattered at her movement.

He moved to the console and started pulling levers frantically.

And the TARDIS was off.

**Well, I considered adding more to this section but it fit better at the beginning of the next chapter. The next chapter is in two parts and is the Christmas Invasion! What do you think? Was that considered a decent way to have things go? I was experimenting, trying to find the best way to make it work and get the timelines just right. **

**What do you all think? Leave me some reviews! I would love to hear from you, hear your questions, your thoughts, what you liked (and disliked if you did...i hope you didn't!). Remember, the more reviews the faster I'm more likely to update. I'm currently writing on the beginning of chapter 16. You guys are catching up with me!**

**Andi**


	14. Christmas Invasion Part 1

Chapter 14: Christmas Invasion

The Doctor was terrified.

It took quite a bit to terrify him, and most of it had to do with Freya anymore, but this terrified him. He should have explained what was happening more to her. He should have told her earlier. But he hadn't. And now he was paying for it.

She thought she'd killed him! Where had that come from? She always had this guilt, eating her alive, and he'd only added to it.

The worst part was, for a moment he thought she trusted him, believed him. For a moment, she had that look of recognition in her eyes and he was so sure she knew who he was.

Then it faded. And she'd tried to get away from him.

He quickly got the TARDIS on path, glancing around for any shiny surface he could find. He was dying to see what he looked like but he had a feeling if he did that he'd freak Freya out.

He didn't want to freak her out any more than what she was already freaking out. That stress couldn't be good on the baby. He knew it couldn't be. And he didn't want to cause her to miscarry. That would be the cherry on top of his metaphorically miserable ice cream sundae.

Not a banana split. Those could never be miserable.

No! He had to focus. He quickly sped up the TARDIS, feeling the regeneration energy bubbling inside of him, dying to get out. He could examine himself and eat a banana split later, after Freya was okay.

He sighed in relief when the TARDIS landed. Only to realize he hadn't landed where he wanted to. He'd hoped to land near her house. Her house would be good. Privacy would be ideal. She could call Rose and Marie and they could be with her.

No. He'd landed in London.

Right outside where Rose lived.

Well.

He guessed if he had to mess up, at least he messed up and got them to the second best place.

Freya was hyperventilating.

She knew she was. She could barely catch her breath. She couldn't breathe, and she couldn't see. Tears were obscuring her vision. And she was shaking. She was shaking violently.

Something tugged at her. IN her.

Her baby.

Freya did stop breathing at that. She slowly forced herself to start again. Her baby was scared.

She had scared her baby.

Freya focused intently on trying to push her feelings down. Her worry. Her anxiety. Her self-loathing. Because her baby didn't need to feel that. Even if the Doctor was sure he couldn't read her thoughts…yet…she didn't want to risk it. She didn't want her baby to have all of those feelings running through his tiny head.

He didn't deserve it.

"Are you okay?" the stranger asked her. Freya sucked in a sharp breath but managed to stifle her panic. She pressed a hand automatically to her lower stomach.

"Freya, please say something. Is the baby okay? Are you okay?" the man in front of her asked anxiously as he dropped to his feet in front of her. He winced in pain as he hit the ground, something that worried Freya without a cause.

"Are you okay?" Freya asked back. He was in pain. Whoever he was, he was in pain. His brown eyes shot up to meet hers, wide in…wonder? Confusion? Worry? She couldn't decipher what emotion was staring at her.

"Is the baby okay?" the man repeated. Freya nodded slowly.

"He's fine. He….he was anxious," Freya said cautiously. She knew she wasn't to tell people much about the baby. But the stranger reached out his hand to her stomach, somewhat tentatively.

"May I?" he asked, staring at her. Freya bit her lip. She didn't know him.

But he had given her the necklace when she was younger. Maybe he was a time traveler too? That had to be the only explanation. Who else could do it now? The Doctor was dead.

The words hit her hard once more, but she stifled the feelings. The baby was moving slightly. Not kicking, but Freya could feel the unsettling he was doing.

Freya slowly moved her hand off of her stomach and allowed the man to place his hand on her stomach. He closed his eyes and his other hand drifted up to her forehead.

And suddenly everything shifted.

That feeling, the feeling of the Doctor's mind was inside of her again. She could feel him wrapped around her very being mentally, gliding over every surface. Over all of the desperate feelings she was trying to shove down. And she could feel him pulling her with him to find the baby.

The baby's mind was still so small, but it was restless. Until it sensed Freya and the man – the Doctor. Then he calmed down.

The man pulled back and opened his eyes.

"Doctor?" Freya asked hesitantly.

The man's eyes filled with joy at her words and he threw himself at her in a tight hug.

Only to stiffen and throw himself back.

"I don't have time to explain anything. I'm…I'm gonna fall asleep. And release this gold energy. Just…keep me safe? Keep me safe," the Doctor murmured before exhaling a cloud of gold particles that floated upwards.

And then he collapsed.

Freya stifled her scream at the sight and moved towards him quickly. Only to be stopped by the sight of something on the console. She turned quickly, eyes widened when she noticed there were two rings there. Wedding bands, she realized. Freya slowly pulled her ring off and slipped it into her pocket before carefully sliding the smaller ring on her finger.

She clutched the other ring as she made her way to the Doctor. He was still breathing, she realized in relief. But he wasn't moving. She pulled his hand towards her and slid the ring on, holding her breath as she did.

It was a perfect fit.

Even the TARDIS was recognizing that he was in fact the Doctor.

Freya quickly pulled the Doctor's arm over her shoulder and, struggling, made her way to her feet. He was heavy. Heavier than she'd expected, anyways. She'd only just got him up when she fell backwards towards the console.

"Where are we? Can we go outside? Or should we stay in here?" Freya asked the TARDIS fretfully. She got an almost playful nudge towards the door and Freya took that as a good sign. She pulled the Doctor towards the door, feeling her breath already becoming labored at the short distance.

By the time she'd opened the door and got out, she knew there was no way she'd be able to drag him anywhere else.

"Freya!" a voice shouted. Freya jerked towards the voice, accidentally releasing the Doctor. He crumpled to the ground in front of her. Freya winced and lowered herself, attempting to get him back on his feet.

She glanced up at the sound of footsteps pounding on pavement. In front of her was Rose and Jackie, both with wide eyes.

"What's going on? Who's the bloke? Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked nervously, glancing around Freya towards the inside of the TARDIS.

"This is the Doctor. Can we get him inside? He's…he's sort of hurt I think," Freya murmured, unsure of what to say. Unsure of what was truly going on herself.

Rose and Jackie helped lift the Doctor, carrying him up to the apartment. Mickey ended up running out and joining them as Freya trailed behind, biting her nails worriedly. Mickey noticed and looped an arm around Freya's shoulders.

"Do you need me to call Marie and Masen? They were going to come up this evening for supper, but they'll come earlier if you need them to," Mickey offered. Freya summoned a smile and nodded, which gave Mickey enough of an answer. He released her and took a few steps from them, whipping out his cell phone.

The Doctor was placed in Jackie's room, since, according to Jackie, it was much cleaner than Rose's room.

"Freya dear, what's going on? How long's it been since you've been back?" Jackie asked her worriedly. Freya moved instinctively towards the Doctor, pressing both of her hands against his chest. Both hearts seemed to be beating. That was good. But his breathing seemed a bit off. She wished she was a doctor, a real proper doctor so she could make sure he was okay. But she wasn't.

"It's been…three, four months?" Freya said, trying to remember exactly how long it had been. She couldn't think of it at the moment.

"What happened to the Doctor?" Rose asked once more, staring at the Doctor with both intrigue and worry.

"He's…we got stuck. The TARDIS died and we were stuck for months. I found a way to bring the TARDIS back, but the Doctor came in and got scared. He…he died because I was trying to save his ship," Freya whispered guiltily, crawling onto the bed next to the Doctor.

"I'm sure it's not your fault," Jackie told her before moving towards her dresser. She pulled out a set of pajamas and placed them on the edge of the bed.

"Do you want to change him?" Jackie asked Freya.

"I'll go grab you some other clothes," Rose offered, quickly leaving the room. Jackie gave her a smile and did so as well. Rose returned quickly, handing Freya a set of clothes that were borderline pajamas as well.

Freya quickly changed before moving to change the Doctor.

It was painful to take the leather jacket off of him. His leather jacket. She didn't hesitate in pulling it over the thin sleeves of the shirt Rose had given her.

She'd planned on keeping her eyes off of him as she changed, but found she couldn't. He was completely different from the Doctor she knew. Nothing was the same. Every part of his body had changed. It unnerved Freya to see that her entire Doctor was gone. And this Doctor was here instead.

But he was the same person, inside. She knew that. Her baby recognized that as well. How had this happened?

She wished he was awake to explain everything to her. Nothing was making sense.

When she'd finished changing him, she climbed into bed next to him, curling up into his side. She needed comfort. Comfort and contact. And with her eyes closed, leather jacket wrapped around her, and his familiar scent, she was able to pretend everything was as it should be.

There was a knocking on the door, followed by it slowly opening. Freya forced her eyes open to see Jackie entering the room holding a stethoscope. Rose followed her in the room and Freya could see Mickey pacing in the background, on the phone.

"Here we go. Tina the cleaner's got this lodger, a medical student, and she was fast asleep, so I just took it. Though I still say we should take him to the hospital," Jackie said as she handed the stethoscope to Freya.

"Mom! She doesn't know who Tina the lodger is! And we can't take him to a hospital. I told you that already. They'd lock him, dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the history of the human race!" Rose shot back quickly, looking quite alarmed at that. Freya moved to check his heartbeats once more. They sounded okay. She listened to his lungs as well. He sounded like he was laboring for breath.

"He sounds okay," Freya finally said, placing the stethoscope on the table next to the bed. The Doctor leaned back and his mouth fell open and a cloud of gold energy was exhaled. Most of it flew upward and dissipated, but some of it came at Freya. She held still but ended up breathing some of it in.

"Is that bad? What was that?" Jackie asked, her alarm rising. Freya didn't move for a moment, waiting to see if she felt any negative reactions. She didn't.

"I don't think so. I feel fine," Freya told them.

A door slammed.

"Looks like Marie's here. Let's leave the Doctor in peace so you can explain to us what's going on," Jackie suggested, ushering Rose out. Freya slowly got off the bed and didn't protest when Jackie wrapped her arms around the girl, dragging her into the living room.

As soon as they entered, Freya was nearly attacked as Marie pulled her into a tight hug.

"It's been awhile! How are you? What's going on? What's wrong with the Doctor?" Marie asked. Masen placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"Why don't you let her explain?" Masen asked her, motioning for the couch. Marie huffed but listened to him, falling onto the couch next to him. It took a bit of work for there to be room for everyone to sit comfortably in the living room, but they managed. And the first thing Freya noticed was that Marie had a ring on.

The second was that Mickey was not sitting anywhere near Rose.

"Are you engaged?" Freya asked Marie, only for Marie's face to light up.

"Yes! Masen asked a week after we saw you last! He said you gave him permission!" Marie all but squealed. Freya forced a smile onto her face, not wanting to disappoint Marie. A person only gets engaged once. Freya twisted her ring at the thought.

"And what's that? That's not the same ring you had on last time," Marie asked suspiciously.

"It looks like a wedding ring," Jackie supplied, looking quite eager for gossip.

"When did you get married? You didn't even invite any of us!" Marie huffed, looking quite put out at the fact. Freya remembered what Masen had said about what she'd told them.

"Technically we didn't have a ceremony. And I'd say we got married in 2013. Masen was there. Or, future Masen was," Freya couldn't help but say. He was there when Freya first said they were married.

"Is there anything else we missed knowing?" Marie asked irritably. Freya bit her lip. How did she tell them she was three and a half months pregnant, and still had at least two years to go?

"There is!" Rose exclaimed, staring at her. Freya wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to figure out how to explain.

"You've put on a bit of weight," Masen observed, staring at her face. Marie slapped his shoulder.

"That's very rude!" Marie shouted at him. But the others weren't paying attention.

"You have," Rose said, staring at her stomach. Jackie seemed to get it as well.

"How far along?" Jackie asked her kindly.

"Three and a half months. But he said it would probably take two to three years," Freya admitted quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Two to three years?! What kind of alien are you having?" Marie screeched, eyes wide.

"A mini him," Freya told them.

"Speaking of Big-Ears, what's going on? Where is he?" Marie demanded.

"He…sort of died," Freya whispered. She didn't know what else to say. She knew he'd technically died. He'd…sort of said that much.

"He's dead?" Marie asked in shock. Freya shook her head.

"I…I don't know much. I'm confused. He didn't explain anything. He…he sort of exploded into gold light. And then there was another man in his place, wearing his clothes. But the other man is him. He's the other man. His mind's the same. He's the same. But he's…different," Freya admitted.

"So he went and married you, got you pregnant, died and came back with a different face? That's rubbish," Marie declared.

"I doubt he can help it," Masen tried saying, only to be shot a glare.

"I bet he can," Marie shot back at him. Masen wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Can we see him now so I can slap some sense into him?" Marie asked Freya. Freya could only shake her head.

"He's…unconscious. He told me to take care of him. I don't know what's going on," Freya admitted, feeling everything seem to press down on her at the realization.

"Oh honey. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. I'll go make you some tea," Jackie fussed, getting to her feet instantly. She clambered into the kitchen.

Freya glanced at the telly that was on mute. And her eyes widened.

"Is that Harriet Jones?" Freya asked. Rose nodded.

"She's the prime minister now," Rose said with a smile.

"The Doctor said she'd be," Freya reminisced with a smile.

"They're calling it Britain's Golden Age. I'm ten quid a week better off," Mickey bragged cheerfully. Freya reached for the remote and turned the volume up, curious as to what she was doing on the TV. Even if she was the prime minister, there had to be a reason behind her being there, right?

"Prime Minister, what about those calling the Guinevere One Space Probe a waste of money?" the reporter was asking her.

"Now, that's where you're wrong. I completely disagree if you don't mind. The Guinevere One Space Probe represents this country's limitless ambition. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars," Harriet was explaining.

"What is this space probe?" Freya asked quietly. There had to be a reason the Doctor had chosen this moment to return them. No matter what, something always happened no matter where they were. She would bet money it had something to do with the space probe.

She didn't believe in coincidences.

Someone else continued talking on the telly.

"This is the spirit of Christmas, birth and rejoicing, and the dawn of a new age, and that is what we're achieving fifteen million miles away. Our very own miracle," they said. Then the narrating voice started speaking.

"The unmanned probe Guinevere One is about to make its final descent. Photographs of the Martian Landscape should be received by midnight tonight," the voice explained. That answered Freya's questions.

"Why? Is it important?" Rose asked, a light shining in her eyes. Freya glanced at her cousin and nodded.

"I'd say it is. But it's a bad time. What will we do? What if the Doctor doesn't wake up?" Freya worried. She offered them a smile and disappeared back into Jackie's room, curling up on the bed next to the Doctor.

And fell asleep.

She woke up to someone pounding on the door. A cup of tea was next to the bed, but it had gone cold. The Doctor hadn't moved. But he looked worse. Freya pressed her head against his chest, listening.

Only one heart was beating now.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jackie's voice shouted from outside the room. Freya pressed a kiss to the Doctor's cheek.

"I'll be right back. Please get better," Freya pleaded. When no response came, she crawled out of the bed and pulled his leather jacket closer to her frame before exiting the room.

Only to see someone she hadn't seen in three years.

Her father.

He looked none too happy either, arguing with Jackie while she blocked him from entering the apartment.

"After all these years, you never come by. How can you expect me to believe you just decided to drop by now all of a sudden for a visit?" Jackie demanded.

"I'm not here for a visit," her father told Jackie before glancing up at Freya. Jackie glanced behind her and sighed.

"Is he doing any better?" Jackie asked. Freya shook her head, wrapping her arms around the leather to provide more of a barrier between her and her father.

"No. Worse. He's getting worse," Freya mumbled, glancing straight at the ground.

"Oh honey. He'll be fine," Jackie fussed, quickly moving to her side and folded her into a hug.

She only broke apart when Freya's father cleared his throat.

"You've been ignoring our calls," her father said formally. Freya shook her head.

"I've been travelling. Out of range," Freya lied effortlessly.

"And when you come back, you don't even come home. You go straight to strangers' houses?" her father lectured her.

"Jackie's my aunt. I met Rose awhile back and we discovered that," Freya said, pulling up any bit of strength she could find.

"I see," her father said, a frown prominent on his face.

"How did you know where I was?" Freya asked him, not quite understanding what was going on.

"We've been tracking your cell phone. This is the first time it's came into signal in awhile. Every time it has, something bad has happened right around the signal. The destruction of 10 Downing Street, the earthquake in Cardiff…I don't know what you're playing at, but it's not funny," her father lectured her.

"I'm not playing at anything," Freya told him earnestly. She wasn't. She had nothing to do with the events. The Doctor might have, but not her. Freya's ears picked up a slight groan and her eyes widened. Not even saying a word to her father, she took off running for the bedroom. She burst in to see his eyes in thin slits, body still slumped over.

"'Freya?" the Doctor slurred. Freya wasted no time in climbing back into bed next to him, feeling his forehead as she did.

"Sh. I'm here. Do you need anything?" she asked him anxiously. The Doctor licked his lips and Freya's head shot up. Jackie was standing in the doorway, her father hovering behind her.

"Jackie, could you get a cup of water? I think he needs water," Freya begged. Jackie immediately scampered off to get the cup.

"Who's this?" her father asked, staring down at the man distastefully. He was still conscious, barely so, but still there.

"Jackie's getting you some water. It's okay," Freya told the Doctor soothingly before glancing up at her father.

"This is my husband. Doctor John Smith. And he's sick," Freya said, glancing back down as his hand weakly reached for hers. Jackie came barreling into the room, a cup of water in one hand and tea in the other. Freya instantly took the water and urged the Doctor into an upright position. He barely responded, but his eyes were still cracked.

She carefully tilted his head back and allowed some of the water to go into his mouth. She didn't want too much; she didn't want to choke him.

He swallowed the water before doubling over, spitting it back up.

"Oi! I'll make you clean that up, mister!" Jackie threatened him but her voice quivered.

"What is it? What do you need?" Freya asked desperately. But the Doctor's eyes slid back shut and he was unconscious once more.

Freya removed the now-wet blankets from him and took a blanket Jackie offered her, wrapping him up carefully.

"Husband? How long have you been married?" her father asked sharply as Freya reluctantly pulled away from the Doctor.

"A few months. We met while travelling," Freya stated offhandedly.

"Where's everyone else?" Freya asked Jackie, leaving the door open but leaving the room. She didn't know how conscious the Doctor was, but she had a feeling her father was going to say some not so nice things, and she didn't want the Doctor hearing any of it if she could help it.

"They went out. Christmas shopping. And Masen and Mickey needed to talk about Mickey's breakup with Rose," Jackie said sorrowfully. Freya's eyes widened at the words.

"What happened? They seemed happy last time I saw them!" Freya protested. Jackie offered her a small smile.

"I thought they were too. I guess we were both wrong," Jackie told the girl.

"So you knew where my daughter's been the entire time, that she's gotten married, everything, and no one thought to tell me?" her father asked angrily.

"We didn't think you'd care," Jackie said, spinning on him.

"Why wouldn't I care what happened to my daughter?" her father shot back angrily.

"You never have before!" Jackie shouted right back. Before either of them could utter another word, the doors flew open and Masen, Marie, Rose and Mickey ran into the room.

"Mum, we've got to get out of here. It's not safe!" Rose told them quickly, trying to grab Jackie's arm.

"My mate Stan should be able to put us up," Mickey offered.

"He's only two streets away. What about Mo? Where's she living now?" Masen asked anxiously as Marie all but barricaded the door with whatever was closest to her.

"Peak District?" Rose offered, unsure.

"Then we'll go to Mo's then," Marie said immediately.

"No! It's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere. What're you babbling about?" Jackie asked them angrily. But none of them were listening anymore.

They were staring at the Christmas tree.

Freya stared at it as well. It wasn't there when she'd entered the Doctor's room before. Where had it come from?

"Mum. Where'd you get that tree?" Rose asked anxiously. Jackie shrugged, looking confused for a moment.

"I thought it was you. You went shopping, and there was a ring at the door, and there it was!" Jackie defended herself.

"It wasn't us," Marie shouted from the door. She ran into the room as the tree started lighting up and playing music.

"Then who was it?" Jackie asked, her eyes going wide in panic.

"You've got to be kidding me. First the Santas, and now a bloody tree?" Marie asked in disbelief, swearing under her breath. Freya turned on her heel and ran for the Doctor's room, running right past her shell-shocked father.

Behind her, she could hear crashing and feel a wind picking up.

"Get out! Go! We've got to get out of here!" Mickey shouted.

"Where'd Freya go?" Masen shouted over the noise.

"The Doctor! We have to get him out of here!" Rose shouted as well. Freya already had one of his arms roped around her shoulders and was trying to tug him out of the bed.

"Just leave him!" Jackie shouted in a panic.

"Mum, get in here! Everyone get in here!" Rose shouted, pulling everyone into the room. Once they were all inside, Masen and Mickey managed to pull a wardrobe in front of the door. Rose ran straight for Freya and the Doctor. Freya's father just stared at all of them in shock.

"What's going on?" he roared, eyes almost livid and filled with fear.

"Doctor, wake up!" Rose shouted, shaking his shoulder. But the Doctor didn't move. The Christmas tree started destroying the door and Freya remembered the Doctor's screwdriver. She ripped her jacket open and started digging in the pockets, pulling the screwdriver out.

She pointed it at the door and started pressing buttons.

But she had no clue what button to push. There were too many settings. She place it in the Doctor's hand and prayed, urged him to wake up.

"I'm going to get killed by a Christmas tree!" Jackie shouted in terror as the tree successfully burst through the door. Freya's terror levels spiked and she quick pressed her forehead against the Doctor's, hoping she could initiate whatever it was that he did whenever he entered her mind.

She sent out a simple cry. A cry for help.

And he jerked away from her, raising the sonic and aiming it at the tree.

The tree exploded, earning a yelp from Jackie and Marie.

"Remote control. But who's controlling it?" the Doctor asked rhetorically, stumbling to his feet. Freya followed him to his feet, quickly wrapping her arm around his waist to offer any support. Rose handed him a dressing gown which he, with great difficulty, shrugged on. He made his way out of the room, effectively leading everyone to the balcony. Outside, three Santas were gazing upward, a remote control in their hands.

"That's them. The Santas. What are they?" Mickey asked anxiously.

"Shush!" Marie ordered immediately, eyes glued to them. The Doctor aimed the screwdriver at them and they backed away before suddenly being beamed away.

"What the hell's going on? What are those things?" Freya's father shouted. The Doctor spun on him, swaying as he did.

"You, sir, are rubbish. Now shush," the Doctor ordered before glancing at the city once more.

"Pilot fish. They're pilot fish," the Doctor told them before doubling over in pain. Freya gripped him tightly, hoping to steady him.

"It's okay," Freya murmured, hoping that it truly was and that she wasn't lying to him.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked worriedly.

"You woke me up too soon. I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy," he told them before exhaling the familiar golden energy Freya had already seen before. Just as it had before, part of it dissipated into the air and the other part made its way into Freya. The Doctor looked slightly alarmed at that but didn't say anything.

"Is that bad? For the baby?" Freya asked quickly, not wanting to step away from him but needing to know if she ought to.

"No. Baby seems to like it. He would," the Doctor said with a chuckle before hissing once more.

"The pilot fish can smell the energy a million miles away. So they're trying to eliminate the defense. You guys. And then they want to carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of…ow!" the Doctor shouted, stumbling into Freya. The sudden shift nearly knocked Freya to the ground but she managed to straighten herself and him at the last minute.

"Oh! What's wrong?" Jackie asked anxiously.

"My head! I'm having a neuron implosion. I need…" he drifted off, clenching his jaw.

"What do you need?" Jackie asked quickly.

"I need…" he started again, only for Jackie to cut him off.

"Say it. Tell me. Tell me!" Jackie begged.

"Painkillers?" Marie asked.

"Aspirin?" Masen supplied.

"Allergic to aspirin. No aspirin," Freya corrected quickly.

"I need…" the Doctor tried once more, but he didn't even have a chance to get the next word out.

"Codeine? Paracetamol?Pepto-Bismol?" Marie asked quickly.

"Liquid paraffin?" Mickey suggested as well, glancing at the others.

"Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?" Masen asked, jumping as well.

"A psychiatrist?" Freya's father suggested sarcastically.

"Is it food? Bowl of soup? A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?" Jackie continued.

"I need you lot to shut up," the Doctor finally snapped.

"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?" Marie asked Freya sourly.

"We haven't got much time. I there's pilot fish, then….why's there an apple in my dressing gown?" the Doctor asked, fishing said apple from his pocket. Freya's eyes widened. Who kept apples in their dressing gowns?

"Focus! What does pilot fish mean?" Freya asked nervously.

"Oh, that's Howard. Sorry," Jackie said breezily.

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?" Marie asked in disbelief.

"He gets hungry!" Jackie defended immediately.

"What, does he eat them in his sleep?" the Doctor asked sarcastically.

"Sometimes," Jackie admitted.

"Doctor!" Freya begged. The Doctor doubled over once more, this time bringing Freya to her knees alongside him.

"Argh! Brain collapsing. The pilot fish. The pilot fish mean that something, something, something is coming," the Doctor finally panted before his eyelids fluttered shut and his body went limp.

Mickey and Masen dragged the Doctor back to the bedroom. Freya had tried but had been stopped. She didn't know what she was doing. And she felt the familiar bubble of panic rising to the surface of her mind once more.

She didn't want to panic. No, she couldn't panic. Her baby didn't need to feel her panic.

"Jackie, could you make me some tea? I'm…I'm panicking, and I don't want to upset the baby," Freya murmured. Marie and Rose were instantly at her side, helping her to sit down on the couch. Her father sat down in the chair across from them, watching them carefully.

"The baby? So you're pregnant too," he mused, staring at her.

"Leave her alone," Rose shot at him, not even bothering to look in his direction.

"What do you mean, upset the baby? Does that happen?" Marie asked curiously. Freya shrugged.

"I don't know if it normally does, but it will for me. My baby's gonna be like the Doctor, so he can sense what I feel. I don't want to scare him. I scared him earlier when the Doctor…changed. He was terrified and he wouldn't stop moving. I was scared too," Freya admitted.

"So not only do you have to take care of the baby physically, but you have to mentally as well?" Marie asked in disbelief. Freya nodded as Jackie handed her the mug of tea. Freya wasted no time in inhaling the scent and slowly sipping it. She could feel herself relaxing. And that was good. The baby needed her relaxed.

"So tell me more about this husband of yours. What's going on?" her father inquired. Freya glanced at Rose, helpless. She had no idea what to tell her father. Part of her wanted to tell him nothing.

"You wouldn't believe us," Freya told him quietly, pulling her legs up to act almost as a shield. She couldn't pull them to her chest as she used to; the slight baby bump made that too uncomfortable.

"I just had a Christmas tree almost kill me. I might believe you," her father admitted. Freya still didn't know what to say. She glanced over at Marie, then at Rose, for help. Marie sucked in a deep breath.

"The Doctor's a time-travelling alien," Marie said bluntly. Masen, Mickey, and Rose glared at Marie while Freya could only stare at her friend in disbelief.

"That was quite possibly the worst way possible to explain," Masen told his fiancée, only for Marie to wave him off. They all glanced at Freya's father, whose eyes had gone wide.

"And you're going to have an alien baby?" her father asked, staring intently at Freya. Rose's arm quickly went around Freya's shoulders.

"Yes, she is. And he's gonna be fantastic, just like his father," Rose spat. Her father looked taken aback at Rose's outburst.

"Why do you hate me?" Freya's father asked, obviously not expecting the reaction he was getting from his niece.

"Because I know how you treated her. How she grew up. I met her and watched her learn what love was. At twenty years old. And because I was there that day you found out about her birth defects," Rose spat. Freya's eyes widened at her cousin's words. Her father's eyes widened as well.

"What?" he gasped. Rose nodded, glancing at Jackie.

"It was our very first trip with the Doctor. We saw you, Mum. You were all upset cause Freya's mom got pregnant before you and you said you'd never hear the end of it. Freya just wanted to see why her parents hated her, and the Doctor walked into the meeting and mucked it all up," Rose ranted.

"He didn't muck anything up. I told you it had to happen," Freya reminded her cousin.

"You were there that day?" her father asked, eyes wide. Freya nodded.

"We saw the ultrasounds. And the doctors not knowing what to tell you. So the Doctor walked in there and told them what to tell you," Freya explained quietly.

Jackie was paler than her father was.

"Cecilia….she said you would grow up to be a very lonely girl," Jackie realized. Freya didn't want to be out there. She needed to check on the Doctor. She stood and smiled before making her way to the Doctor's room.

He was sweating and looked even paler than before. Freya grabbed the stethoscope and checked his heartbeats once more. Still only one heart beating, and it was rather erratic. She thought he'd said this would save him?

"I wish you were awake. I'm so confused. But I can't be confused. I got to pretend I'm fine. For the baby. Please wake up soon," Freya begged, curling herself up in a ball next to the Doctor and allowing, for the first time since they'd arrived at Jackie's, to shed a few tears.

After a few tears, she decided she had to stop.

"You're not dead. You're alive. And you'll wake up," Freya murmured, more for her benefit than to him. Because that was what she needed to hear. She needed reassurance. Because she was downright terrified.

Still, she sucked in a deep breath and made her way back into the living room.

"Here we go," Mickey was saying, his laptop out and going.

"Pilot fish. Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless. They're tiny. But the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish," Mickey explained.

"Like sharks?" Rose asked.

"Great big sharks. So, what the Doctor means is, we have them, now we get that," Mickey said, looking quite scared at that realization.

"Do you mean there's going to be real sharks flying around, or metaphorical sharks, or metal shark-like spaceships?" Marie asked them, only to earn a look of disbelief from Mickey. Masen merely waved her off.

"How long do we have?" Jackie asked, looking pale.

"There's no way of telling, but I doubt pilot fish swim far from their daddy," Masen said darkly.

"So it's close?" Rose asked, glancing out the window nervously.

"Funny sort of rocks," Freya's father observed, his eyes still glued to the telly.

"The first photographs," the voice from the telly was saying. Rose shook her head.

"Those aren't rocks," Rose said uncomfortably.

"This image is being transmitted via mission control, coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning," the reporter said, just as a red-eyed alien filled the screen. It liked like it had a goat's skull. It growled at the screen. Freya shook her head.

"I told you. I told you it would have something to do with that," Freya told Rose. Rose nodded.

"I was hoping you'd be wrong," Rose admitted.

"The face of an alien life form was transmitted live tonight on BBC1," the telly continued.

"What do we do?" Rose asked Freya frantically. Freya's eyes widened as everyone in the room, save Masen, turned to her for the answer.

"Me? How should I know?" Freya asked them desperately.

"You're the Doctor's wife. You know him best. Shouldn't you know what to do in this situation? What would the Doctor's plan be?" Jackie asked logically. But Freya was already shaking her head.

"The Doctor never has a plan! He makes things up as he goes. Jack was the only one to make plans," Freya told them. And then her eyes widened.

"Mickey! Can you hack the military?" Freya asked, turning to him. Mickey's eyes lit up at her words and he nodded eagerly, throwing himself into the computer.

"Of course. Not a problem," Mickey boasted.

"Why does he need to hack into the military?" Freya's father asked in confusion.

"They'll be doing something. They won't be letting this go. We can see what or who we are up against," Freya told them, feeling her confidence grow. That was what they needed to do.

"Then what? What do we do then? What do the rest of us do?" Marie asked, staring at her friend. Freya rubbed her arm, thinking. Trying to come up with something Doctor-y to say.

"Jackie, you can make us some tea. Tea'll calm everyone down. We need to stay calm," Freya suggested. Jackie nodded, rushing into the kitchen to do just that.

"I can contact my…acquaintances and see what I can find out," Masen offered, pulling out his cell phone. He made his way into the hallway quickly, not even waiting for approval.

"Rose, can you and Marie take inventory? We need to know what all we have here, in case we have to do something to stun them, keep them back. Or, if worse comes to worse, kill them," Freya suggested, swallowing at the thought.

"What kind of things?" Marie asked.

"Everything. Remember the vinegar with the Slitheen? Get acquainted with where things are," Freya ordered.

"Freya, take a look. I've got access to the military. They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way," Mickey said grimly. Freya rushed to his side, examining the computer.

"It's probably here for the Doctor. He mentioned his regeneration energy, whatever that is," Freya mused.

"Or it could be coming for all of us," Mickey added grimly. Freya nodded. She couldn't' rule it out. Mickey started pulling up UNIT's page and a clearer image of the aliens appeared. Four of them showed up on the screen this time.

"Have you seen them before?" Freya's father asked, moving to stare at the computer screen as well.

"No," Freya said, wishing she could say yes.

The Doctor had probably seen them before.

Freya listened as Mickey played a recording. She couldn't understand it. Was it because it was a recording? No. It couldn't be. She always heard all English, everywhere.

"I can't understand it. The TARDIS translates alien languages in my head, no matter what, but it's not," Freya muttered angrily.

"Why not? Is something wrong with the TARDIS?" Mickey asked. Freya shrugged.

"Maybe it's connected with the Doctor. Because I could still understand other languages when the TARDIS was dead in the future. But I can't now. It had to be connected to the Doctor, like it goes through him first," Freya said, not liking that knowledge.

If the Doctor was that bad off, how would he get better?

Jackie made her way into the room and forced a mug into Freya's hands.

"You need to drink something. Then eat. You have to eat. It's bad for the baby for you to skip meals," Jackie told her, handing her a tiny plate with a sandwich on it. Freya took it graciously and forced herself to take a bite. The telly was still going, Freya noticed.

"Despite claims of an alien hoax, it's been reported that NATO forces are on red alert," the reporter was explaining on the TV. Freya left the room, food and tea in hands, and made it back to where the Doctor was asleep. No. Unconscious. Asleep was healthy. The Doctor wasn't.

She propped him up and tried to coax him into drinking some of the water once more. The water came right back up, as if he was unable to swallow it.

She forced herself to take a few bites of the sandwich before curling up into the Doctor's side. She was exhausted. It was four in the morning and she'd gotten so little sleep before. With that thought in her mind, she fell asleep curled into the strange new Doctor's side.

She didn't even realize the Doctor's arm curling around her ever so slightly in her sleep.

**How do you like that? I want to apologize. When I wrote this and the second part of the Christmas invasion, I'd never seen the episode, only read transcripts, so I apologize for any discrepancies. I am slowing down on the writing, sadly. I have three research papers due in ten days, so I've been a bit busy. I have the next chapter written as well but don't have anything past that written, so please be patient with me**

**I hope the beginning was believable. I was certain that, if the Doctor had a different sort of situation surrounding his regeneration, he may be different acting. And Ten always seemed more panicky. ;) Haha. **

**What did you think of Freya's father? Yes, I added him in. I think it's a good addition, and fits into what I want to be doing. **

**I had someone be upset over the fact that I had Nine regenerate after keeping him alive. I'm sorry if that was upsetting. He had to turn into Ten for my story plot to work, but Nine needed to stay a bit longer. I like it, and from the feedback I've received, most of you like it. If you don't, I'm sorry you feel that way. But please know I do have plans for this story. I'm not just making every chapter up on the spur of the moment. I plan out almost the entire season at a time, moving on to plan out the next season near the end of the previous.**

**Please review and tell me what you think! I hope this chapter is good! Y'all are going to LOVE the next chapter!**

**Andi**


	15. Christmas Invasion Part 2

Chapter 15: The Christmas Invasion Part 2

She was startled to wake by a tugging. A tugging that pulled her straight out of bed and towards the door.

Her father was already out the door, his expression blank. But the moment Freya got to the doorway, she collapsed.

A burst of pain filtered through and Freya gasped at the feeling, hands instantly wrapping themselves around her stomach. It felt like there was fire going through her veins.

"Freya! What's going on?" Marie asked, trying to help her to her feet.

"Where's your dad going? What's going on?" Mickey asked, coming out of the flat. All around them, some people were walking towards the stairs, expressions blank.

"Fire. Feels like fire," Freya said through gritted teeth. She immediately tried to feel inside, make sure it wasn't hurting the baby. Which was when she noticed the bracelet.

A large handful of charms were dissolving, slowly sinking into her skin. Rose was watching with wide eyes, as was Masen.

As it sunk in, the fire dulled to an uncomfortable prickling.

"What was that? What's going on?" Jackie asked in terror.

"Something's…controlling people. But not everyone. Why not everyone?" Freya wondered.

"You and your father were affected. And so were a few others. Not everything. What hurt? Why were you able to fight it?" Masen asked her, his expression serious. Freya shook her head.

"I have no clue. It felt like there was fire rushing through my veins when I collapsed and stopped moving. I…I wasn't thinking at all before that. I tried feeling the baby. He was fine. He fine. He's not alarmed. I think…I think the TARDIS and him stopped me," Freya admitted.

"How? What is it?" Rose begged.

"It hurt my blood. Could they have been controlling my blood? Why my? And why did the TARDIS change it? What's your blood type?" Freya quickly asked.

"AB positive," Rose said instantly. Freya turned to Jackie, who shrugged.

"B positive," she answered.

"O negative," Marie told her.

"O positive," Masen answered as well.

"Mickey's O positive too, I think," Rose mused.

"I'm A positive. And so's Dad. What if it's the A positives?" Freya suggested.

"How? And how can you be sure of that?" Masen asked her, eyes boring a hole into her very being.

"I think the one thing I've learned from travelling with the Doctor is that nothing is too simple. Some of the most simple things are the correct answers. If something feels wrong, it's wrong. If there happens to be a space probe taking pictures the Christmas we happen to crash land in London, something's up. If only a few people are being hypnotized and I was one of them and I'm A positive, then maybe someone's controlling the A positives," Freya suggested. As she spoke, she felt less confident about what she was saying, but her words must have been making sense, because everyone started nodding.

Was that how the Doctor felt half of the time?

Masen whipped out his phone and dialed quickly, stepping away from them.

"Yes, yes, we just came up with that idea. So you think the same?" Masen was saying. A moment later he hung up.

"Good guess. My friends agree," Masen told them evasively.

"What do your friends know about any of this?" Marie scoffed at him, but he didn't say a word in his defense.

"But what are they being made to do?" Jackie asked worriedly.

"They've walked to the edge of the roof. About to jump off, but not," Mickey answered as he made his way into the room.

"Why A positives?" Marie mused.

"Maybe it's all they've got," Rose suggested.

"Now what? What can we do? Is it completely gone, or do you still feel it? What happened to you?" Marie asked Freya anxiously.

"I don't know. I…the TARDIS has been changing me to be able to carry the baby. Maybe she changed my blood. She didn't completely, because I can still feel a dull throbbing from it, but I'm not under its control now. And the baby isn't A positive because….well, I have no clue what type of blood is the Doctor's," Freya weakly smiled.

"That makes sense. There's no logical way you'd be able to carry a baby him if you were completely human," Masen stated.

"How would you know that? What do you know?" Marie scoffed, spinning on him. Masen shrugged but Freya got the sense he was hiding something. There was something he wasn't telling them.

"Oh good lord, the queen's still going to give her speech," Jackie murmured in disbelief, glancing at the telly. But by the time everyone else had turned around, it wasn't the queen that walked into the room on the screen.

It was Harriet Jones.

"No way," Freya breathed, eyes wide. It was one thing to hear that Harriet Jones was the Prime Minister. It was another to see her taking the queen's place on the telly.

"Ladies and gentleman, if I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech. I'm afraid that's been cancelled," Harriet said before turning to someone off screen.

"Did we ask about the royal family?" Harriet asked, only for Marie to scoff.

"They didn't think to ask about the royal family before hijacking her speech?" Marie asked in disbelief.

"Oh. They're on the roof," Harriet muttered.

"They would be, with all that intermarrying to preserve the royal line," Masen murmured in exasperation. Everyone else just stared at the telly, waiting for Harriet to continue and tell them what was going on.

"But, ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request. Doctor, if you're out there, we need you. I don't know what to do. If you can hear me, Doctor. If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him, the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us. God help us," Harriet Jones finished.

With her words, tears leaked from Rose's eyes. Marie looked unsure. And Freya bit back a cry. What could they do? The Doctor…he needed something. And she had no idea what that something was. How could she?

Why couldn't she help him when he needed her help the most? What use was she if she couldn't even help him with this?

"Harriet Jones. You met her before, yes?" Masen asked, staring at Freya. Freya swallowed and nodded.

"She was in 10 Downing Street with us when we blew it up," Freya reminisced, nervously tucking the Doctor's leather jacket tighter around her body.

"We need to make sure she doesn't try tracking you down. Because the Doctor can't help. They'll come here for him but we won't be able to do anything," Masen said, whipping out his cell phone once more to make a call.

"What should we do?" Rose asked quietly. But no one could answer her.

They didn't really need to.

The glass in the windows shattered. Mickey ran to the window, glancing out.

"All of the glass's shattered. Come on!" Mickey called, moving outside onto the balcony. Freya followed with Rose, careful not to step on the broken glass all around. She still was barefoot. She'd taken her shoes off before falling asleep earlier and had yet to put them back on. She should have put them on already!

All thoughts of shoes left Freya's mind when she looked up.

There, in the sky, was the spaceship.

They had to get out of there.

Freya turned and hurried inside, wincing as she stepped on some glass. She ignored it, making her way to the bed the Doctor was on.

"We've got to get to the TARDIS. It's the only safe place for us," Freya called as she did a shoddy job at inspecting her feet. She only noticed one shard of glass and immediately pulled it out, fighting back the wince, before tugging her shoes on.

"What are we going to do on the TARDIS?" Jackie asked her in disbelief.

"Hide. We're going to hide until we can figure out how to fix the Doctor. Can someone help me move him?" Freya asked.

"No. Masen and I'll carry him. Jackie, you and Rose can get your stuff and some food. Freya, calm down," Mickey told her.

"Yeah. That can't be good on the baby. I'll calm her down," Marie told them, immediately grabbing Freya's hands. When she glanced down, she realized they were shaking.

"Come on. Let's grab you a cup of tea and head down to the TARDIS," Marie urged, her voice soothing. It took nothing for Marie to pour Freya a cuppa but Freya soon realized her hands were too shaky to hold it still. Marie forced her to drink half of the steaming cup before allowing her to head downstairs. They still managed to beat the boys to the TARDIS, unlocking it just as Mickey and Masen got down the stairs.

Jackie entered just as the boys settled the Doctor down, half a dozen large bags.

"Mum, we don't need all this stuff," Rose argued, but Jackie shook her head.

"You said food. I'll go grab some more," Jackie told them, dropping the bags on the ground inside the TARDIS and taking off out once more.

"Should I go after her?" Rose asked with a sigh. Mickey shook his head.

"Let her get some more. She should still be safe. They shouldn't try anything this soon, right?" Mickey asked Masen. He nodded.

"Right now I'd say they're establishing that they're here. They'll wait a bit before making the next move," Masen assumed.

"How do you know so much about alien protocol?" Marie asked, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at her fiancé. He regarded her coolly, not even blinking at her tone.

"I researched it. After your best friend goes gallivanting off with one, I wanted to make sure I knew everything I could about aliens. Can't blame me, can you? I figured I'd be stuck dealing with them, since I planned on keeping you in my life," Masen told her. Freya didn't know why, but she got the feeling that there was more to the story. There was something about Masen that she simply didn't understand.

"Can we fly this thing? Get out of here? Or at least hover until the Doctor wakes up?" Rose tried, but Freya shook her head.

"I don't know how. I've never flown it," Freya told them.

"Yes you did. That day, the last time we saw you. You said you could be going to die. But it disappeared," Mickey pointed out.

"I didn't fly it. She flew herself for me. And I had knowledge of everything that ever could exist running through my head at the time. I didn't exactly have time to take notes on what was going on," Freya shot back.

Her eyes widened and she quickly covered her mouth. Where had that come from? Why was she snapping on him? He was only trying to help.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that," Freya apologized, fighting to keep from crying. She couldn't believe this. Why was she acting like this?

"Pregnancy hormones, I'd bet," Jackie's voice called as she came back on board, this time holding numerous flasks of what Freya hoped was tea. She started handing them out. Marie snatched the one she was about to hand to Freya and tasted it carefully before handing it to Freya. She offered up a sheepish smile.

"Testing for alcohol. It is in a flask," Marie explained quietly. Jackie merely huffed at her.

"Pregnancy hormones?" Freya asked, not liking the sound of that. Jackie nodded enthusiastically.

"Yup! When I was pregnant with Rose, I was a downright cow. Had to have whatever I was craving, no matter the hour. Got into fights over little things. Everything. Poor Pete suffered those months," Jackie said fondly.

"And the Doctor has three years of that?" Mickey asked incredulously.

"He's gonna need an awful lot of patience," Masen agreed, staring at the Doctor in pity.

"I'm gonna go get the rest of the food," Jackie announced before traipsing right back out of the TARDIS.

"Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British," Mickey said snidely. Marie smacked his arm before making her way to the television-like screen on the console.

"How does this thing work?" she asked, turning to Freya. Rose leapt to her feet at the words.

"Yeah. It picks up TV. Could we use it to see what's going on out there?" Rose asked.

"I don't know," Freya said quietly.

"How do you make it work?" Marie asked, glancing at Freya. But Freya could only shake her head.

"I haven't the slightest. It sort of always works on its own. Or the Doctor does it," Freya admitted guiltily.

"Do you think it's working on its own right now? There's some sort of odd pattern," Marie asked, calling their attention back to the screen.

"Is it a distress signal?" Mickey guessed.

"Fat lot of good it'd do right now," Marie muttered.

"Nah. That's not a distress signal. I don't know what it is though," Masen told them, leaning closer to the screen.

"How much stuff is Jackie bringing? She shouldn't be going out there and back so much. What if something happens to her?" Freya fretted more to herself than anyone else.

"She said she was getting more food," Rose said, sounding quite unsure of how she felt about that notion. Marie laughed at that.

"Rose and I'll go get her," Marie said, standing up.

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine," Mickey called out as they headed towards the door.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Rose teased.

"I'm not that brave," Mickey retorted with a shudder.

"I am," Marie scoffed, pushing the doors open. Two sets of hands grabbed Rose and Marie, ripping them from the TARDIS. Masen was on his feet in an instant, as was Mickey. Mickey dropped his flask in his excitement. The tea fell into the grate near the Doctor. Freya hoped he wouldn't be too upset over that when he woke up.

Masen was the last one out and he quickly closed the door as he left.

Trying to protect Freya and the Doctor.

Freya leapt to her feet, going straight for the scanner. The camera to the outside was miraculously working now. Freya grumbled at that realization as she examined what was happening outside. The aliens that had been on the telly were holding her friends.

Harriet Jones was out there too.

"What does the Doctor always say?" Freya murmured to herself, trying to think hard.

"Shadow Proclamation….Article….14? 15? Category five planet," Freya remembered. She stopped, thinking for a moment. Gallifrey. Time Lords. That could inspire fear and make them leave as well.

With a glance at the Doctor, she bound for the door. Before opening it, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders back. If she was going to buy the Doctor time, she was going to do it in the most Doctorly manner she could. With confidence.

She threw the doors open and then back closed behind her as she stepped out.

"Oi! Leave my friends alone," Freya shouted at them. The aliens turned to her, almost surprised. Harriet Jones made her way over to Freya, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Freya! Is the Doctor with you?" Harriet asked, glancing over her shoulder at the TARDIS. Freya hesitated.

"Yes. But he's unconscious. He'll come around," Freya told her, not wanting to discourage the woman. Unfortunately, her words made Harriet's expression sink.

One of the men who had been standing next to Harriet pointed at her.

"The girl. She has the clever blue box. Therefore, she speaks for your planet," he said, glancing at the aliens. Was he their…translator? He had to be.

"But she can't!" Harriet gasped.

"Of course I can," Freya told her gently, replaying her words in her mind. Shadow Proclamation, Article 15, Category 5 planet, Gallifrey.

"They'll kill you!" Harriet cried.

"Nah. The Doctor wouldn't let that happen," Freya told Harriet, pouring her faith into her words. Because the Doctor would show up. She just had to buy him some time.

"What are they?" Freya asked quietly from the corner of her mouth.

"Sycorax," Harriet supplied. Freya nodded and stared at the mass of Sycorax watching her with interest.

"Sycorax, according to Article Fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation, I order you to leave this world. This is a Category 5 planet and you have no right running an invasion here. This planet is protected by the last Time Lord, and you'd bettered remember that," Freya told them, her voice low and threatening. The Sycorax leader tilted his head, examining her.

"You are smart, but you are going to die. You hold no authority," the man told them. Harriet quickly stepped in front of Freya.

"You won't touch her!" Harriet shouted. A Sycorax ripped Harriet away from Freya as the leader approached Freya.

"You can't kill her! She's with child! There's got to be laws against that!" Masen tried shouting.

"Did you think you were clever with your words? Words have no power without the strength to reinforce them," the man told her as the Sycorax made odd noises in front of her.

"Next to us you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion," the man was saying, but Freya stopped listening to him as the odd noises coming from the Sycorax leader turned into English.

"Then your world will be gutted," he said, with Alex repeating him.

"And your people enslaved" the Sycorax continued as Alex realized he was speaking English. Freya's heart soared. If he was sounding English now, that meant the Doctor was okay! The Doctor was possibly even awake! Freya felt like jumping in joy at the thought, but she resisted the urge.

"He's speaking English," Marie said in awe. This seemed to only offend the Sycorax.

"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile," the Sycorax spat at them.

"He's not speaking English. The TARDIS is translating it," Freya said, unable to hold back the grin that erupted on her face. She turned instantly toward the TARDIS, whose doors had just slammed open. There, the Doctor was standing, a manic smile on his grin, still wearing nothing but his jimjams.

"Did you miss me?" he asked Freya, smile filling his entire face. Freya started moving towards him but was stopped when a whip cracked at him. The Doctor caught the end of it and pulled sharply, stealing the whip.

"You could have poked someone's eye out with that," the Doctor said lightly, giving Freya a quick hug before examining the Sycorax.

"How dare you!" shouted the Sycorax. The Doctor grabbed a club from the nearest Sycorax and slammed it into that Sycorax's knees. It fell like a rock.

"You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. I'm busy. Mickey! Rose! Hello! And Marie, Masen, just saw you! It'll be a few years, for you, but we just came from your house. Lovely house, lovely kids. Oops! Probably shouldn't have said that," the Doctor said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He turned, eyes going even wider.

"And Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North! Blimey, it's like This Is Your Life. Tea! That's all I needed, a good cup of tea! I tried telling you, but all you'd give me was that blasted water. Tea, though. Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing synapses. Now, first thing's first. Be honest. How do I look?" the Doctor asked, staring at Freya intently. Freya flinched at his words.

"You don't have big ears. Or blue eyes," Freya managed to get out. The Doctor shook his head.

"But how do I look?" he persisted.

"I'd say foxy," Marie piped up, making Freya jump. The Doctor's grin intensified, but his eyes never left Freya.

"Am I? It won't do if my wife doesn't think I'm foxy," the Doctor said with a wink. Freya felt her knees shaking slightly. Two arms steadied her and the Doctor's grin seemed to weaken.

"She's been stressed," Rose apologized.

"Am I ginger?" the Doctor asked. Freya could tell he wasn't all that into the question. She could see his worry. But he was trying to cover it.

"No. You're sort of…brown," Freya mustered. The Doctor looked heartbroken at her words.

"I wanted to be ginger. I've never been a ginger. And why have you been stressed? Are you not taking care of yourself? That's bad for the baby. You know it is. Oi. That was rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude. Rude and not ginger," the Doctor said with a sigh, shaking his head regretfully.

"I'm sorry. Who is this?" Harriet asked, staring at him.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor told her, a loopy grin on his lips.

"He is," Freya reassured the woman. The Doctor's shoulders relaxed, as if he'd been tensed, waiting for Freya to say that. He seemed so relieved to hear her say he was the Doctor. But she'd told him she believed him earlier.

"But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?" Harriet asked worriedly.

"I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything," he said with a grin. He shot another grin at Freya, who did her best to grin right back.

"But you can't be," Harriet protested. The Doctor released his breath, the smallest of sighs, before focusing his attention on her.

"Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, it wasn't the war, it was the thought of your mother being on her own," the Doctor explained.

"She never said that," Freya said quietly.

"Oh my God," Harriet breathed, staring wide-eyed at him. The Doctor grinned at her and pointed at his head, leaving Freya to only nod.

"Did you win the election?" he asked her. Harriet's expression shifted into a triumphant smile.

"Landslide majority," she bragged.

"If I might interrupt," the Sycorax said, sounding quite irritated to have to be doing so. The Doctor took a step towards Freya and slid his hand into hers, lacing their fingers together before facing the alien.

"Yes! Sorry. Hello, big fellow!" the Doctor said almost cheerfully. Freya was completely awed at how different he was. How…unlike him he was. He was so…high-strung. Freya had thought she had trouble keeping up with him before. Now he was even more energetic, and she was going to only get slower. The thought was discerning.

"Who exactly are you?" the Sycorax asked the Doctor. The Doctor shrugged.

"Well, that's the question!" he said happily. This wasn't the answer the Sycorax was expecting. Nor was it what they wanted to hear.

"I demand to know who you are!" the Sycorax roared.

"I DON'T KNOW!" the Doctor shouted right back. This shut the alien up for a moment.

"See, here's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" he asked, winking at Freya as he did. Freya couldn't keep her from blushing at his words. He smiled triumphantly, as if that was all the answer he needed. He glanced back at the Sycorax, mouth already open.

"Am I a right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A lover? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob," he said, moving his jaw slightly.

"I'm gonna slap ya if ya don't stop ramblin'," Marie muttered angrily at him. He ignored her, choosing to release Freya's hand and rush for the controls, straight for a large red button. Freya tried to suppress her fear.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was going to do. Not with how he was acting.

"And how am I going to react when I see this, a great big threatening button. A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" he asked as he dropped to the ground and opened the base of the pillar underneath the button.

There was a beaker full of dark red liquid…Freya swayed, falling back against the TARDIS. Blood. It was blood. The blood controlling everyone. That blood.

Freya was thankful the TARDIS was close behind her, or she would have been hurting.

Her dizziness only increased when the Doctor stuck his finger in the blood and licked it. Freya felt sick.

"And what've we got here? Blood? Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Ah, but that means blood control. Blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control in years. You're controlling all the A Positives. Well, all but one. You're A Positive, right Freya? Baby Me must be keeping that from happening," the Doctor said with a grin at her. His grin weakened a bit when he noticed how weak she appeared to be.

"This leaves us with a great big stinking problem. Because I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, and it won't harm Freya, then I just want to do this!" he shouted as he slammed his fist down on the button. Freya flinched and sank to her knees as the feeling that had been hovering in her mind left. Harriet and Rose screamed out a no, but Freya blocked them all out.

Marie helped her to her feet as the Sycorax spoke up.

"We allow them to live," it said. The Doctor openly scoffed at that.

"Allow? You've no choice. I mean, that's all blood control is. A cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis. You can't hypnotize them to death. Survival instinct's too strong," he boasted.

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force," the Sycorax informed the Doctor, but he didn't seem too stressed out by that. In fact, this new Doctor didn't seem stressed out about anything.

"Well, yeah, you could. Yeah, you could do that, of course you could. But why? Look at these people. These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than….No, hold on. Sorry, that's The Lion King. Watched it with the wife last week. Based off of Hamlet it is. Good story," the Doctor said, shaking his head quickly to get himself back on track.

"But the point still stands. Leave them alone!" the Doctor ordered.

"Or what?" the Sycorax taunted.

"Or..." the Doctor drifted off before stealing a sword from an aide. He waved it around with flourish that Freya was certain HE thought looked impressive.

"I challenge you," the Doctor said simply. The Sycorax all started laughing at that.

"Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?" the Doctor asked, staring at them.

"You stand as this world's champion," the Sycorax told him. This brought a grin to the Doctor's face.

"Thank you! I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up!" the Doctor said before stripping off the dressing robe and chucking it to Freya. She wrapped it around her arms, watching him. He winked at her once more before focusing on the Sycorax.

"So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?" the Doctor taunted, the last phrase not translating. From the Sycorax's expression, it wasn't a pleasant phrase.

"For the planet?" the Sycorax clarified.

"For the planet," the Doctor agreed, rushing forward.

"Look out!" Rose shouted the moment their swords touched.

"Oh yeah, thanks, that helps. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise," the Doctor said snarkily. Freya found her eyelids dropping as the Doctor took off running down up a tunnel.

"Come on!" Rose urged them. Freya started to wave them along but was cut off when Masen scooped her off and followed the rest.

"You would probably rather be with us, if you were able to stand on your own. Problem solved," Masen offered, trying to give her a smile. Freya smiled back at him. She was starting to see what he'd said, in the future, about her warming up to him. Granted, she warmed up to his future self, which made dealing with this self easier. And he seemed to be warming up to her rather quickly as well.

Rose, it seemed, was already trying to rush into the fight.

"Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet!" the Doctor ordered as the leader knocked the Doctor to the ground. The Sycorax swung the sword down, chopping the Doctor's hand off. The hand and sword disappeared off the edge of the spaceship. Freya's eyes widened in horror. But the hand wasn't spurting blood. Shouldn't it at least be bleeding?

"You cut my hand off," the Doctor stated, almost in shock.

"Ya! Sycorax!" the Sycorax cheered. But this didn't stop the Doctor. He stood and cracked his neck before grinning manically at the Sycorax.

"And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. Because quite by chance I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this," he said as the gold energy leapt from his skin and formed a new hand where his old one had been.

"Witchcraft," the Sycorax hissed, taking a step back.

"Time Lord," the Doctor corrected as he wiggled his new fingers. Rose stole a sword from an aide.

"Doctor!" she shouted before throwing him the sword. He caught it effortlessly.

"Want to know the best part? This new hand? It's a fighting hand!" the Doctor shouted as he made his way back at the Sycorax. This time, the Doctor seemed to have the upper hand. Within no time, he'd disarmed the Sycorax.

"I win," the Doctor said simply.

"Then kill me," the Sycorax droned.

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this Champion's command. Leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?" the Doctor asked him.

"Yes," the Sycorax said simply.

"Swear on the blood of your species," the Doctor prodded. This slowed the Sycorax a bit.

"I swear," he repeated after a moment.

"There we are, then. Thanks for that. Cheers, big fellow!" the Doctor said before making his way back to them. Masen set Freya back down on her feet as the Doctor threw himself at her, wrapping her into a tight hug in his arms.

It was the first full, tight hug he'd given her as this Doctor. He'd given her a quick one earlier, but it had been brief. This one was not rushed. It was just the two of them. And Freya hated to admit it, but this Doctor seemed to fit against her perfectly. It was like he was designed especially for her to be wrapped in his arms.

"Bravo!" Harriet cheered as the Doctor hugged Freya.

"That says it all. Bravo!" Rose added as well.

"Not bad for a man in his jim-jams," the Doctor said with a grin. He reluctantly pulled back and tugged the dressing gown on over his clothes before pulling Freya to him once more.

"Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here? A satsuma?" the Doctor said, pulling the fruit from the pocket as he pulled back from Freya. The Doctor glanced at Rose and shook his head.

"That friend of your mother's. He does like his snacks, doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas? You go through all those presents and right and the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?" the Doctor asked carelessly. Freya's eyes widened as she saw the Sycorax leader rise behind them and grab his sword. He came running at them, but the Doctor threw the satsuma at a control on the spaceship hull and the area under the Sycorax disappeared.

The Sycorax screamed as it fell to its death. Freya was pulled back into the Doctor's arms.

"No second chances. I'm that sort of a man," he murmured.

After a few seconds more of the hug, the Doctor turned around, addressing the others.

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenger here for the rest of time. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this: it is defended," the Doctor told them.

With the end of his words, Freya felt dizzy. The world around them was suddenly where the TARDIS had been before. They were right by Powell Estates. All of them.

Above their heads, the spaceship flew away. Mickey whooped and jumped up and down, as did Rose.

"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!" Mickey cheered. Marie hugged Rose and jumped up as well.

"Don't even think about coming back!" Marie shouted as well. Freya noticed that Masen wasn't as cheerful. The Doctor left her to go talk to Harriet, but Freya was too busy watching Masen. His gaze was steely as he watched the sky. As if he knew something no one else knew.

Jackie came running out of the building, Freya's father not far behind her.

"Rose!" Jackie cried, causing Rose to rush at her mother and hug her tightly. After hugging Rose, Jackie gave Freya a hug too, something Freya hadn't been expecting. Her father just watched them, as if unsure as to what to say.

"Guess what Mum? It was the tea! He needed tea!" Rose said cheerfully.

"Tea?" Jackie asked in disbelief, giving Freya an incredulous look.

"Tea," Freya confirmed.

"So he's really the Doctor? Oh my God. It's the bleeding Prime Minister!" Jackie exclaimed, her gaze shifting from the Doctor to Harriet Jones. The Doctor grinned and held out his arms.

"Come here, you," he said. Jackie hugged him, as did Rose.

"Group hug!" Marie declared before throwing herself at the Doctor as well. The Doctor looked quite alarmed when Mickey also joined their hugging group. Freya stood back, not really trusting herself to move forward alone. She was so tired.

Jackie started talking to Rose and the Doctor made his way back to Freya.

"You don't look too good," he told her bluntly.

"Thanks," Freya couldn't help but respond. The Doctor's eyes widened and he ran a hand through his hair.

"I didn't mean you look bad! I just mean you look tired! Yeah! Tired," the Doctor said quickly, his words blurring together.

"Slow down a bit," Freya begged, and he was hugging her tightly once more.

"I should have explained things to you. I am so, so sorry," he breathed.

"It's okay," Freya told him, tucking her head into his shoulder.

There was a loud crash above them. The Doctor pulled back, staring upwards. Freya glanced up to see the ship's pieces disintegrate.

"What was that? What's happening?" Marie demanded, staring at the translator man who was holding a cell phone.

"That was murder," the Doctor said coldly, staring between Harriet Jones and the man.

"That was defense. It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago," Harriet explained calmly.

"But they were leaving!" the Doctor shot back.

"You said yourself, Doctor, they'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today. Mister Llewellyn and the Major, they were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case we have to defend ourselves," Harriet Jones said without a bit of remorse. The Doctor chuckled humorously and shook his head.

"Britain's Golden Age," the Doctor said darkly to himself.

"It comes with a price," Harriet pointed out. But the Doctor was not happy with her words.

"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming. The human race," the Doctor said angrily.

"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf," Harriet told him, her demeanor not changing. The Doctor's hand automatically slid into Freya's and he squeezed it tightly.

He was shaking. And not from fatigue like she must be. From anger. And it very nearly terrified her to see him like that.

"Then I should have stopped you," the Doctor told her.

"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?" Harriet asked him sharply. Freya squeezed his hand back just as tight. If he was considered an alien threat, would she be considered one too? Surely she would, if they learned about the baby.

No one could know about the baby then.

"Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones, because I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word," the Doctor threatened.

"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met, but I don't think you're quite capable of that," Harriet told him, but Freya could see she was starting to doubt herself.

"No, you're right. Not a single word, just six," the Doctor corrected, pulling his hand away from Freya.

"I don't think so," Harriet said, but this time Freya could see she was indeed nervous now.

"Six words," the Doctor said as he took a step towards her.

"Stop it!" Harriet demanded, eyes wide.

"Six," the Doctor repeated before making his way over to the man who'd been the translator and whispering something in his ear. He then made his way back to Freya and wrapped an arm tightly around her waist, leading her back towards the flat. Harriet started shouting after them, but they didn't respond.

Everyone, including her father, made it back to Jackie's flat.

Once they were back in the flat, the Doctor kissed her forehead and headed back to the TARDIS, telling her he had to change. Freya used the time to take a much needed nap.

When she woke up from the nap, she was surprised to see her father watching her.

"What are you doing?" Freya asked, causing him to jump. Her father stared at her, an unidentifiable look in his eyes.

"I was just…no. I was just leaving," he finally said.

"Why did you come today?" Freya asked, hoping, praying for a good answer. He paused in the doorway.

"Your mother wants you to stop showing up. On the telly. Newspapers. Even in history books. Everywhere we look, we see you. She wanted you to stop," he said. Freya shoulders sank at his words.

"I'll do my best," Freya promised quietly. But he still didn't leave.

"I won't tell her about the baby. Or the alien," he told her quietly.

"She wouldn't like that, would she?" Freya mused. That got a small chuckle from her father, who still hadn't turned to look at her.

"No. It wouldn't. Just…take care? And…let me know when the baby's born," he finally said.

"Why?" Freya asked instantly, confused. Her father turned around and looked at her, actually looked at her.

"I know I wasn't much of a father. Maybe I can be a bit of a grandfather, when your mother's not around," he told her before finally leaving.

Freya found she couldn't even think of words to respond to that. Instead, she sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her head on her knees as she allowed quiet tears to leak down her face.

Some time later, she felt arms envelope her. She glanced up to see the Doctor watching her worriedly.

"How are you doing?" he asked, staring intently at her.

"I've been better," Freya admitted.

"Jackie said the man that was here was your father. And he left," the Doctor said, waiting for her to give him some information.

And she really didn't want to.

"Apparently Mom's been seeing us everywhere. History books, images, telly, everywhere. She wanted it to stop," Freya told him quietly.

"That's why he came?" the Doctor scoffed.

"He said he wanted to get to know our baby," Freya added. This made the Doctor stiffen.

"That's not happening," he told her firmly.

And Freya didn't have it in her to argue.

"Can I go to the TARDIS and change clothes?" Freya asked him.

"Sure! Yeah, let's go!" the Doctor said, instantly helping her to her feet.

"I can go on my own," Freya told him, only to receive a hurt look from the Doctor.

"Oh. I didn't…I…" he fumbled for words.

"I just need to change clothes and come back. I won't be long. You can talk with the others. They haven't seen you in awhile," Freya told him quietly.

"We just spent two months with Masen and Marie," the Doctor corrected her.

"Just go talk with them. I'll be back soon. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, you can send a team out to drag me back," Freya told him with the fullest smile she could muster. He gave her a smile as well, but Freya could tell it was forced. She unconsciously tugged the jacket around her tighter, which made the Doctor's smile drop completely.

Freya glanced down at the jacket, then back up at him.

"What's wrong?" Freya questioned. He stared at her for a moment before tugging on his ear.

"Do you wish I was still him?" the Doctor asked her quietly.

"But I thought you were him?" Freya was confused. That was what he'd told her. She'd felt it was him.

"I am. But…I don't look like him. Or act like him," the Doctor pointed out. Freya nodded along with his words.

"You don't," she agreed.

"Do you wish I was still him? Do you want to stay here now?" he asked her, glancing straight at her stomach. Then back at her. His eyes held panic in them, as if he were dreading the thought of her leaving but thought he had no choice in the matter.

"You're you. You're you because I made you you. I…I can't go to a normal doctor. I have to stay near the TARDIS. You're sort of stuck with me," Freya told him, not wanting to straight up say she couldn't stand the thought of returning to an empty house alone.

The Doctor's face morphed into a giddy grin and he nodded.

"Nope. Can't let you go off with an alien baby. My wife'd bettered stay on board the TARDIS with me," he told her. And Freya found that it was really easy to smile right back at him.

"Why do you keep calling me that? Your wife? You didn't call me that so much before," Freya pointed out. The Doctor grinned slightly but his eyes held his apprehension.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, but Freya shook her head quickly.

"I don't mind. I was just wondering why," Freya admitted. He smiled at her, his eyes lighting up at her words.

"I like reminding myself that I got a wife. A...fantastic wife. I never thought I'd have one again," he admitted. Freya noted the word again, but didn't say a word about it.

"Even though we married more out of convenience than anything else?" Freya questioned. The Doctor nodded anyways.

"Convenience may have brought us together, but I can't think of anyone else I'd have on the TARDIS with me. Now go get changed so you can get back up here!" the Doctor ordered her playfully.

It was a bit slow going to get to the TARDIS, but she made it. She made it and found a warm but slightly dressy outfit. She wanted to keep the leather jacket, but after seeing the Doctor's reaction to her in it, she didn't want to. She wanted to keep it on though. It smelt like him. It felt like him.

But that wasn't him anymore. Remembering what jacket he'd had on when he'd been with her, she searched the wardrobe until she found a similar jacket. She knew she could justify it with the weather.

The jacket was large on her. It was probably the exact size as the one the Doctor was wearing, but she didn't care. She placed the leather jacket on a hanger and tentative put the hanger on a rack.

She didn't want to leave it. She wanted to keep it. But she knew better. She didn't know how the Doctor planned on keeping their sleeping arrangements. She hoped he'd keep them the same. She'd grown used to sleeping in his arms. But if they did, they'd be sharing a room. And he'd see it. He'd see it every day and think she was rejecting him, wanting his older self.

She couldn't do that to him. She wouldn't want him to do that to her. It wouldn't be fair.

With that thought clear in her mind, Freya turned and made her way out of the TARDIS.

Outside, she noticed a little girl, staring upwards towards Jackie and Rose's flat. From there, Freya could see everyone sitting at the table, laughing.

Glancing back at the girl, Freya took her in. She was wearing a hat that covered all of her hair, and she was short. So short. She couldn't have been older than seven. And that was pushing it. She was wearing a thick jacket, one almost the same color as the one Freya had put on. It was also longer, like hers. She wasn't wearing any gloves.

Freya moved closer. The girl's brown eyes were glued to the flat window. It wasn't a coincidence. The child was staring at the group of them with such an intense longing, it nearly struck Freya.

"Hey. Do you need some help?" Freya asked. The girl jumped and spun around, eyes wide in horror.

"No! No, I'm sorry," she apologized, taking a step back. Freya took two forward, stopping the girl.

"Hey! It's okay. You just seemed lost. Where's your family?" Freya asked the girl. There was such a loneliness in the child's eyes that it pained Freya.

"Not here," the girl mumbled.

"Why don't we find them? No child should be alone on Christmas," Freya told her, giving the child the brightest grin she could. The girl's gaze seemed to shift but she shook her head.

"No. It's okay. I know where they are. I was just going for a walk," the girl lied. Freya glanced back at the flat, then at the little girl. The little girl's own eyes had drifted towards the flat window as well.

"Tell ya what. We can call your parents, or your guardian, whoever's in charge of you, and let them know you're having dinner with us. No child should be alone on Christmas," Freya repeated her previous words. The little girl's eyes lit up for a moment before that light faded. She glanced behind Freya and shook her head.

"I can't. My father'd be unhappy. I'm not supposed to," the girl finally stammered out.

Freya turned around to see a man standing near an alleyway, sending a glare at the little girl.

"Is that him? Is that your father?" Freya asked. The girl hesitated before shaking her head.

"He's my guardian. I wasn't supposed to talk to you," the girl whispered. Freya smiled at her and pulled the girl into a hug.

"Well, I for one am glad you did. Now run along! Run along and have a fantastic Christmas," Freya urged her. The girl smiled at Freya, an almost blinding smile. Then, without another word, she took off running.

She ended up jumping at the man, who immediately pulled her up and placed her on her hip, as if she were an infant instead of a girl of her age. The girl didn't seem to mind. The man glanced at Freya and hesitated before tentatively waving. Freya smiled and waved back before heading back up the stairs.

When she entered the room, the Doctor was at her side instantly.

"You took awhile," he told her.

"We waited on you. Food's nearly cold," Jackie complained, but it wasn't in mean spirits.

"There was a little girl out there. I tried inviting her in, but she couldn't," Freya admitted.

"A little girl?" Rose asked curiously. Freya nodded.

"Yeah. She was staring up at you guys. Looked like she wanted to be here so bad," Freya said with a sigh.

"Enough talk! Let's eat," Jackie told her, ushering her towards the seat.

And eat they did. It was lovely. Even when they saw the telly reporting how Harriet Jones was stepping down, it was a lovely evening.

And when it started to snow, it was still lovely. It was still lovely even after the Doctor told them what the snow truly was.

It was out there, with the Doctor's arm wrapped around her, that she saw the little girl again. Her and her guardian were watching them from an alley. The girl waved at her before the man pulled her away.

Freya didn't know why, but she had a feeling that wasn't the last time they'd see the two of them.

**What do you think? Sorry for the long wait. It's been really stressful and will be another stressful month. Chapters will come; I can't just leave you guys hanging, especially when you guys are so fantastic with your reviewing! Let me know what you think! **

**-Andi**


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